Give Me the Remote!
by cheergirlejami
Summary: EJ, Sami, Allie & Johnny are in witness protection after Stefano has been put into jail.  While EJ fears he will never get close to Sami beyond a tenative friendship, things heat up between them and they are faced with challenges to their family.
1. Chapter 1

_**Give Me the Remote!**_

_Author's note: Setting is the cabin, where EJ, Sami, Johnny and Allie have gone into hiding from Stefano, pre-Sydney-Nicole. Hope you enjoy please let me know what you think._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Days of our Lives or any of the characters on the show. I only like to put them in different scenarios to see how things will turn out instead._

**Prologue**

It had been difficult living in such close quarters with Samantha, having her near while she kept him at arm's length. Knowing she was gone to visit her loser ex-husband in jail was bad enough, but he didn't say a word when she informed him she needed to go, only nodded his acquiesce as she walked out the door. 

At least she trusted him with the twins, diaper duty, late night feedings, picking them up when they cried were all new experiences for him, and he was very proud of the fact he had been able to handle each and every challenge the babies had brought his way. He loved them more than he had ever thought possible and he knew they loved him too.

Now if he could only convince their mother that he was worthy of her love, then all would be right with the world…

**Give Me the Remote!**  
><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

EJ had a new found respect for parents. Raising children was a difficult albeit rewarding job. For once, he had the twins both fed, diapers changed and they were sleeping like perfect little angels. Yes, he knew he was biased about his children, both of them, he refused to believe Allie was not his own, she looked like her mother, but she definitely had his personality, no doubt about it.

He didn't know when Samantha would return home, her bodyguard profusely vowing to EJ no harm would come to his wife while she left the safe house that Abe had set up for them two weeks earlier. He had to believe she would be back soon. How much longer could she hold onto the hope that Lucas would be set free?

Two weeks of such close proximity for them both that EJ was almost grateful when Samantha had requested to leave, even if it were only for a few short hours. Cabin fever had taken on an entirely different meaning for EJ since their sequestering from the world had begun. It was sheer torture to be so close to the woman he loved, yet she still held him at bay, refusing to get close to him.

He really did despise Lucas Roberts and his only comfort was that the weasel was looking at being locked away in prison for quite some time for his murder attempt. EJ scoffed, the imbecile couldn't even shoot a gun correctly, now if he had meant to shoot Roberts; the man would have been six feet under. 

For once the cabin was quiet, the babies were asleep and EJ took the opportunity to sit down on the couch, making himself comfortable as he decided to lie down for a few minutes. He took the remote on the coffee table and flipped on the television. He surfed a few channels until he found the station he was looking for and settled in a bit more comfortably on the couch. He had the baby monitors turned on, new ones of course since Samantha had thrown the other ones out a while back, so when either one or both of the twins awoke, he would be sure to hear them.

At least he could watch his show in peace, god only knew if Samantha even had a clue that he was remotely interested in it, she would surely give him hell about it. That woman had the capability of driving a man insane.

**Give Me the Remote!**  
><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

Samantha opened the door to the cabin with shaking hands, her trip to see Lucas had not gone well, in fact things had went from bad to worse with Lucas berating her almost non-stop from the time she had entered into the visitation room until the time she had finally made her exit. Her nerves were shot; Lucas couldn't understand why she hadn't brought Allie to the jail.

She was not going to take either one of her babies there, they didn't need to be subjected to that kind of atmosphere and she'd be damned if she would go back to see Lucas again either. She was sick and tired of hearing about how all of this mess her ex-husband had gotten into with the law was entirely her fault.

Taking a deep breath, she looked around the cabin and the peacefulness which emitted as soon as she stepped in the doorway was a stark contrast to the past few hours she had endured at the jail. The babies must be sleeping she surmised as she walked into the living room area thinking she'd find EJ reading or working on his laptop computer, but she found an entirely different scenario when she saw him sprawled out on the couch, asleep with the television turned on. 

She eyed him fully up one side and down the other; thankful for once she could view him without having to worry about him catching her in the act. These past two weeks had been rough; she could feel the sexual tension in the air every time they were alone with one another in the cabin, which was why she tried to stay busy to keep him away whenever the babies were asleep. 

But for the moment, she could enjoy the view without censure and what a view it was that her eyes beheld. EJ was wearing black sweat pants that clung to his body in just the right places; there was no denying the man was endowed, even in his slumber he looked huge. She bit her bottom lip and started to turn away when he shifted slightly causing his burgundy sweatshirt to ride tantalizing up his stomach a few inches, revealing part of those rock hard abs he possessed.

Damn, now she noticed the very thin line of hair that trailed downward leading to places she dared not venture. It really was unfair EJ was so sexy; it made her resolve to stay away from him all the more harder. She shut her eyes; she didn't need to be thinking of any terms that contained the word hard and EJ in the same sentence.

She needed to escape the room, why didn't one of the babies wake up? Then she would push aside these visions of a man she had tried to shove out of her life for so long. She turned to leave the room when she was distracted by familiar sounding voices emitting from the television.

She chuckled quietly and decided to sit down when she saw what EJ had been watching before he had fallen asleep on the couch. Oh boy she was going to have a field day with him on this one!

**Give Me the Remote!**

**Chapter 3**

She nudged his legs a bit, sliding underneath while allowing them to settle back on top her legs as she settled herself on the couch, propping her feet up on the coffee table. EJ mumbled something in his sleep and then stretched his arms, making his sweatshirt ride even further up his body.

He yawned and then realized someone else was sitting on the couch with him, his movements a bit startled thinking the worse since he had crossed his father and started to right himself when he heard Samantha softly laughing.

"What are you doing Samantha? I thought you'd be gone for hours on end."

"I knew you'd be missing me too much," Sami gave him a knowing look.

"Please you overestimate your allure," EJ rolled his eyes, enjoying this teasing with her because it had been such a long time since they had genuinely engaged in banter with one another. 

"Or maybe you'd hoped I'd be gone so you could watch your favorite show." Sami reached to grab the remote from EJ, but he was too quick for her and kept it tight within his grip.

"I don't know what you are talking about," he replied hoping that the show was long over, but he had not been asleep as long as he thought because the show was right at a pretty good scene. 

"I thought I had caught you watching Bedingfield Bluffs before, now I know for sure," Sami smiled triumphantly. 

"I don't even know what the name of this show is," EJ lied, hoping that would be enough to put her off from dogging him about his television viewing habits. This show was one of his guilty pleasures, once you started watching it somehow you got sucked into watching more and more of the shows just to see what would happen with the characters.

"Yes, you do," Sami leaned up a bit causing EJ to sit up on the couch and try to change the channel.

"Don't even bother trying to hide the fact you watch this soap opera," she pointed a finger at the screen.

"Darling you must be mistaken, I fell asleep…"

"Watching one of the most talked about soaps on the air," Sami stopped him from changing the channel, her hand closing over his own.

"You must watch it if you know the name of it," EJ tried to get her attention away from this subject, although it seemed Sami was determined to rib him over watching a soap. 

"Shhh," she put a finger up to her mouth, trying to get him to be quiet. "I just love Desmond Howarth."

"You've have got to be joking," EJ eyed her with a look of pure disbelief. "Why that little weasel is the absolute worst character on the show."

"I knew you watched it!" Sami laughed out loud as she now pointed a finger in EJ's direction. 

"Believe whatever you choose to believe," EJ shrugged his shoulders, there was no denying he watched the show, but he'd be damned if he let her go on about what had to be the wimpiest character in the cast.

"I will," she smiled and turned her full attention back to Bedingfield Bluffs with a dreamy sigh.

"You really like this character?"

"Of course, he is a good guy, trying to keep the love of his life with him despite all the things that jerk Jared Davidson does to pull to win her away from Desmond."

"Jared is a multi dimensional character, Desmond only knows how to scream at Alyssa and scrunch his face up like he is severely constipated all the time."

Sami took one of the pillows from the couch and slung it in EJ's direction, "Jared is awful, the things he has done…"

"All in the name of love darling," EJ defended after taking another pillow from the couch and throwing it in Samantha's direction.

"I don't know what show you're watching, but apparently we aren't watching the same one. Jared is tied way too deep within his mafia family to ever come clean."

"Desmond is a mama's boy through and through. Why it wouldn't surprise me if he moved back in with his mother so that they could spend more time together."

Sami rolled her eyes, "Now you've made me miss Desmond and Alyssa's scene." She tried to grab the remote again from EJ so that she could go back to watch it again.

EJ shook his head, "No, once is enough. I fast forward all Desmond's scenes unless Alyssa is looking very good that particular day."

"Pig," Sami rolled her eyes and tried to reach for the remote again.

"Honesty does not make a man a pig," EJ held the remote up higher away from her reach. There was no way he was going to be subjected to watching that whiny man screech upon the screen today, he just couldn't take it. "I mean I can't help it if I find Alyssa attractive."

"You would think she was pretty," Sami rolled her eyes at him. 

"You think Desmond is nice looking, but you have to admit that goatee he is trying to sport is quite pitiful."

"Give me the remote EJ! I want to see what happened!" Sami leaned over coming close to falling in his lap, but EJ kept it away from her.

"No, I can't endure the torture." EJ was determined she wouldn't get the remote from him.

"Give it to me," Sami warned giving him the evil eye.

EJ smiled wickedly, opened the drawstring to his sweatpants and dropped the remote inside, "Come and get it sweetheart."

Give Me the Remote!

Chapter 4

"I can't believe you just did that!" Sami narrowed her eyes and began to glare at EJ.

"If you want it bad enough you will come get it," EJ shrugged his shoulders and scooted to the far edge of the couch.

"You don't think I'll do it, do you?" She asked wondering how in the world she could get the remote without intimately touching another part of EJ's anatomy in the process.

"No, I don't think you have it in you," EJ tried to get settled, but it was a bit discomforting to have the remote located in his boxers, although he'd deal with it just to see what Samantha would do.

Sami leaned over so close she was almost touching EJ, "You'd be surprised over what fortitude I possess."

"Well if you want something badly enough you should do whatever is necessary to get exactly what you want," EJ hoped she wanted more than the remote, but he had been wrong about many things concerning Samantha so he would just play this by ear and see where things went. 

She moved in closer so that she could whisper in his ear, her hot breath tickling it as she spoke, "So you think I should just go for it?"

EJ moved back to look her straight in the eyes, "Only if you really and truly think that you can handle it."

She smiled and licked her lips, "Oh I definitely think I can handle it."

"Then go ahead and do it," EJ dared her hoping she would accept the challenge he had just laid out for her.

Sami winked at EJ and started to run her hand down his sweatshirt, going lower and lower until she reached the drawstring on his sweatpants.

Give Me the Remote!

Chapter 5

Sami loved a challenge and it had been such a very long time since she had enjoyed sparring with EJ. She wanted that remote and by god she was going to get it, even if it meant that things could get a bit tricky. She paused for a second trying to mentally strategize the best way to get what she wanted.

Then she realized she shouldn't have stalled her progression on retrieving the remote because when she looked into EJ's eyes, those beautiful intriguing eyes that looked at her so intently it made her completely lose her train of thought. He was so close to her she could lean forward and slide her tongue across his lower lip if she so chose.

She couldn't do that, she instantly chastised herself and her hand tentatively crept below the top of his sweatpants and she almost had the remote when he suddenly pushed her back to the other side of the couch and had somehow managed to position himself over her. This movement caused her hand to collide with something hard, but it wasn't the remote. She quickly jerked her hand back out of his sweatpants and her blue eyes widened in alarm when he didn't move away from her.

He could kiss her, god knew he wanted to kiss her senseless, but s soon as he saw her eyes change with something akin to fear, EJ pulled back and righted himself to a sitting position on the couch. Somehow the challenge he had issued to her lost its charm and he reluctantly withdrew from her.

"Forgive me Samantha, it was not my intent to scare you," EJ removed the remote from its hiding place and pressed the button to turn off the television. What had started out as fun and teasing with Samantha had turned into something else so fast it scared him too. He was trying so hard to become the man Samantha could love, but the fear was still there in her eyes and sadly he knew it was also in her heart.

One step forward, two steps back, EJ sighed inwardly as he looked at her knowing that the connection between them was twisted into a rough and rocky road. One that he had forged in a misguided attempt to follow his father's wishes.

Sami was stunned and scared, the heat that flared so brightly between them moments before was extinguished and part of her felt disappointed. Knowing EJ had picked up on her anxiety instantly was disconcerting to say the least. He understood her better than she did herself sometimes and that was what worried her because before long he would start to realize other things about her, the feelings she was trying to deny she had for him and that was downright dangerous.

She wanted to reach out to him, to tell him that it was okay. She had started this playful game with him, but before she could utter the words, he had left the room and walked out the door, slamming it shut and preventing her from saying the words she needed to tell him.

He'd left the remote on the coffee table, but now watching television was the farthest thing on her mind. She took a pillow and hugged it close to her, wishing for things to be different between them and then she heard one of the babies cry.

With a sigh, she placed the pillow back on the couch and started up the stairs. At least for a while she would be occupied with the babies who would help her forget about EJ; however she doubted he would be far from her thoughts for very long.

_**Give Me the Remote!  
>Chapter 6<strong>_

He needed the cold and crisp fresh air that hit him as soon as he had walked out of the door. Maybe the cold air would cool his ardor for her, the ever growing need he felt for Samantha which was getting harder to ignore with each passing day they spent alone in the cabin.

Even with puffs of breath looking like frosty clouds when he exhaled, the icy temperature wasn't helping him achieve a state of disinterest for Samantha. Damn his libido, it had been far too long since he had been with a woman and now all he wanted to do was bury himself deep inside Samantha, for her to know that the passion he felt for her had never disappeared.

This living like a monk sucked. He had never gone this long without having sex since he was a teenager. What in the world had gotten into him? Then he stopped himself, there was only one reason why he had kept celibate this past year and that was if he couldn't have Samantha, he didn't want anyone else.

Samantha was the only one who could help him slake this thirst. He just wanted to see what would happen if they both gave into the desires that kept building between them.

He shook his head, thinking it would be a miracle if she ever let him touch her. He was going to go crazy if they didn't get out of here soon. Maybe it wouldn't be much longer until they could go home. 

Sami soothed Johnny, picking him up from his crib and placing a sweet kiss upon his cheek, speaking soft words of love to her son. She was surprised Allie hadn't woken up when Johnny had cried out; usually she did although apparently she had gotten to Johnny quickly enough that Allie's slumber had not been disturbed.

Johnny snuggled next to his mother's chest, calming down instantly. Sami held him close, breathing in his sweet baby smell. She walked him around the room, going over to the window. She looked out admiring the beautiful mountain scenery the view afforded her, things were so breathtakingly beautiful, she enjoyed getting to see the nature that surrounded the cabin.

Living in Salem, you didn't get to see things like the snow covering the tops of the mountains in the distance, to hear the birds singing outside your window, there weren't cars honking their horns on the street below your apartment. For all her complaints to EJ of having to stay here, it really wasn't as bad as she claimed it was other than having to deal with seeing EJ at each and every turn.

Then she saw him below walking outside, god he was a handsome man. She quickly turned away from the window; it wouldn't do for him to catch her watching him. She didn't want him to claim she couldn't take her eyes off of him. His ego was huge enough already without her adding to it. Speaking of huge there was also that rock hard slab of…No, she had already told herself she wasn't going to go there, but she surely was tempted.

_Give Me the Remote!__**  
><strong>__Chapter 7_

_Author's Note: In this fic, Stefano is still in jail, not in a comatose state. I just wanted to clarify that issue, as it will be important as the story progresses along._

He had sensed her staring out the window long before he glanced upwards in the direction of the twin's room in the cabin. He barely caught a glimpse of her turning away from the window, that beautiful mane of long blonde hair shining as he gazed at her retreating reflection in the window pane.

He ached for her, wanted her more with each passing day and now with them being together in this secluded mountain retreat to protect them from the ever reaching clutches of his father Stefano DiMera, it was growing more difficult to ignore the urges of his body as they reacted to being around Samantha.

If it weren't for the children, their children, he might have tried to leave Salem. God knows he should have left a long time ago, but somehow the power Samantha held over him kept him there, hoping for the one day she would come to see she cared for him as much as he cared for her. That possibility seemed doubtful, the fear in her eyes would flare up when they were too close to one another and he wished for what seemed like the thousandth time that he could wipe the slate clean, for them to start over with one another.

He turned away from looking up at the window, it was apparent she was busying herself in the cabin. He needed to quit acting like a lovesick fool over her; she wasn't going to change her mind about him, at least not anytime soon.

He began to walk a bit further from the cabin, enjoying the terrain of their new surroundings even if they were here because of the threat of retaliation from his father. He still couldn't believe how wrong he had been about his father, the man he had looked up to for as long as he could remember was a man who had destroyed lives at a mere whim if he so chose to do so.

He had been blind to the fact his very powerful father was a man who had used his children whenever possible to achieve his goals of getting exactly what he wanted. Stefano being sick had played upon EJ's sympathies more than anyone else, for EJ was the golden child in his father's eyes. The one child who could do no wrong, that was until he had turned his father into the authorities for kidnapping John.

The horror EJ had felt upon discovering that Stefano and Rolf had recovered John's body to transform him into a person with no memory of his past, one who would serve Stefano's every wish was something he couldn't explain away. He still felt sick to his stomach when he began to realize the depths of his father's psychosis.

He kept walking away from the cabin, unaware he was being watched, his every movement being carefully tracked and documented. He just wanted to find some peace here yet peace was not to be found when his thoughts were interrupted by one of the agents assigned to their case.

"Mr. DiMera, you shouldn't go so far away from the perimeter security of the cabin," Reagan Michaels warned him after making his presence known to EJ when he seemed to be approaching an unacceptable distance away from the cabin for the agent's liking.

EJ turned back to face the man, one who seemed nice enough, although it rankled his nerves to no end that even though it felt as if he, Samantha and the twins were here in this mountain paradise alone, they sadly were not. The group of agents posted outside their cabin was for the most part sight unseen, at least it was until one of them needed to leave the cabin, and then their presence became all too clear. 

EJ tried not to frown, he didn't like being confined, to be told where and how far he could venture out, although his visage couldn't hide the fact he felt stifled by the agents. "Sorry, I just needed some fresh air for a few moments. I won't go much further."

"Be sure that you don't," Reagan reminded EJ with a stern look. "It is only for your protection I am warning you. Your father is a very dangerous man and you don't need to be taking any unnecessary risks by being out here alone."

"I understand," EJ nodded even if he wanted to go, he needed to be careful. There was no way Stefano was going to harm his family, not while he had breath in his body. "I'll head back towards the cabin. Thanks for the reminder."

"No problem and if you need anything just let one of us know."

"I will," EJ turned to go back to cabin, knowing what he needed the agents couldn't help with and that was for him to find a way into Samantha's heart.

_Give Me the Remote!__**  
><strong>__Chapter 8_

Johnny was safely tucked back into his crib, instantly seeking out the comforting presence of his twin sister Allie. Sami looked at her babies with a surge of pride overflowing, they were so angelic. Perfect babies and it was amazing to see their distinctive personalities coming out more with each and every passing day. She loved them both and felt her maternal fierceness grow exponentially now that they were living in protective custody in trying to stay away from Stefano DiMera, the man who had plagued her family almost nonstop for years.

Shaking her head, she left the room wishing Stefano could just leave them all alone, the vendetta that sprung up years before she was even born seemed just as threatening now as it had when she was a child herself. She wished she had never heard of the word DiMera, a name managing to strike fear in her heart no matter how much she matured. Then she stopped herself, if she had never met EJ, she wouldn't have Johnny, her sweet innocent baby boy.

EJ being a DiMera was the one hurdle she couldn't quite accomplish getting over. While she knew in her heart that EJ wasn't like his father, somehow she could always erect an instant barrier up against him ever since she had found out his connection to the one family all the Brady's distrusted and despised.

Now she was in fact a DiMera herself, even if in name only. She had made sure she wouldn't cross the line of becoming a true wife to EJ. She couldn't go down that road, for if she did she would surely lose her soul to the one man who had managed to see her for what she truly was and it amazed her even when she was downright nasty, he still couldn't be repulsed by her actions.

No, she wasn't accustomed to finding acceptance and unconditional love. Her family had trained her many years ago, she had to work very hard at being good, to try to become a woman the Brady's could love and appreciate, not the one they tried to ignore she was related to them if she didn't act accordingly to their very specific outlines of expectations.

Now gaining their acceptance had come with a very steep price, one that was difficult to pay, especially when she had to deny her heart of what it truly wanted. She leaned outside the doorway of the twin's bedroom; she had to stop thinking this way. Even though she was married to EJ, she couldn't act upon her desires for them to become man and wife in every sense of the word, for if she did, it would only lead to heartbreak and destruction for them both. 

Taking a deep breath, and reminding herself to keep her thoughts away from EJ, she took the stairs, deciding that she would lose herself in a good book while the twins slept. She would curl up in the chaise lounge and try to forget the ever maddening presence of EJ DiMera.

Perusing the myriad selection of books housed in the bookcase, she scanned the titles, searching for the perfect book to help her escape her quandary. It was an eclectic collection to be sure, from non-fiction titles to ones more suited to her liking. Then something caught her eye and she did a double take, surely there weren't those kinds of books here in the cabin.

She shook her head, there must be some mistake, and no way could those books on the shelves be there, her overactive imagination must be running wild with her again. She looked back and sure enough between _East of Eden _and _War and Peace _there were some books with titles to make her instantly start to blush without even taking them out of the bookcase to review. 

Knowing she shouldn't even take them from their resting place in the book shelves, somehow she couldn't help herself, the temptation was too great. She picked out _101 Nights of Great Sex_, _How to Drive Your Man Wild in Bed,_ and _Being Bad Never Felt So Good, a guide to letting your man know exactly what you want from him._ She held the books in her hand, leaning back against the bookshelf, never hearing EJ approach her until it was too late. 

"What are you reading?" EJ peered over her shoulder, curious as to what had Sami so deep in thought she didn't even hear him come back into the cabin after his walk.

Sami quickly snapped the book shut, causing all three of the ones she had chosen to fall into the floor at her feet. EJ went to pick them up for her despite her instantaneous protest not to bother as she crouched to retrieve them before he could catch a glance as to what she was looking at when they bumped heads with one another.

EJ rubbed his head and grabbed one of the books giving her an upraised brow as he saw the cover of the book, "Interesting reading material."

Sami blushed three shades of crimson; embarrassed to the core and suddenly she was at a lost as of what she would even say to him.

"I…just...uh," Sami stuttered trying to find some plausible excuse as to why she had the books in her hand.

"Just what Samantha?" EJ asked, lounging against the bookshelf while Sami fidgeted, trying to look anywhere except in his direction.

"Never mind," she wanted to flee, her embarrassment growing with each passing second. He would never let her live this down, at least not anytime soon. She started to push past him when she felt his touch upon her arm and suddenly she was unable to go anywhere as their eyes connected with one another.

_Give Me the Remote!__**  
><strong>__Chapter 9_

Sami bit her bottom lip, her face still a faint hue of pink even after getting over the initial shock of EJ catching her unaware during her perusal of the books contained in the cabin's library. She wasn't a prude by any means, but somehow EJ could make her feel as inexperienced as a school girl yearning for her first kiss with the cutest boy in school. It was quite unnerving to say the least.

His eyes keep her rooted to the spot, she wanted to run and hide, to forget how quickly EJ could embarrass her, and then when she looked into those dark all too knowing eyes, she was entranced. Those eyes which saw beyond the façade she tried so desperately the keep intact, the one where she claimed he had no place in her life, that he was only a roadblock in her way.

She was so adorable when she blushed, EJ thought as he wanted nothing more than to reach out and pull her into his arms, to shower her with all the love he felt for her, to lavish her with his complete attention, showing her she was the only woman in this world for him. What he wouldn't give to break down all these walls she had erected between them? He would gladly climb the steepest fortress wall of her heart if she would only meet him halfway.

He had to get over his fears of rejection, god knew she'd rejected him time and time again, but maybe this time things could be different. He tentatively reached out to her with one hand, his fingers barely brushing the side of her face and Sami instinctively leaned into his gentle caress before she thought better of it.

She closed her eyes, even though in closing her eyes, she still could see the image of him looking at her with a longing that took her breath away. Had she ever had anyone of her other lovers give her a look like that? One that could convey a thousand words without him ever uttering a single syllable? It would be so easy to give into his charm, to lose herself in his touch, but if she did would she ever find her way back?

"Samantha, open your eyes and look at me," his words while commanding were soft spoken; his voice had always been such a persuasive guide to her even if she would never admit this to him. She couldn't tell him how she loved the sound of her name when it fell from his lips.

She slowly opened up her eyes, fearing she would found him amused at her once again and was surprised to see no amusement in his expression; only intense longing presided there for her just as it had before she had closed her eyes.

She could not find her voice, somehow he'd managed to rob her of her speech with just a look that made her want to fling herself into his arms and forget she had ever learned he was a DiMera, her family enemy. When he looked at her like that it could almost make her forget anything around her. _Almost being the operative word._

He could see her indecision, she was weighing her options and before she got too far into over thinking things between them he reached out to her and pulled her into a kiss.

_Give Me the Remote!__**  
><strong>__Chapter 10_

He kissed her with a kiss not meant to push her to extremes, as he was wont to do most times with her, rather one full of heartfelt longing instead. EJ then pulled back as he felt a wave of tenderness wash over his being. The majority of their time spent together Samantha's personality was so overbearing and larger than life that he had a difficult time remembering that she was tiny in comparison to him. Why his hand seemed very big as it started to caress down her back enjoying the feel of her even with the sweater she was wearing which unfortunately for him put too much of a barrier between them since his fingers craved to touch her creamy skin.

He paused in his chaste exploration when he felt her stiffen slightly. He was perceptive of even the smallest change in her, he was so afraid he would frighten her away again like he had done earlier. He had to remember to be patient, an attribute that had been a completely foreign concept to him before he had met her.

She was still wary of him, a fact he knew all too well. So he relinquished the kiss along with retracting his ever wandering hand that was splayed against her back. The instant he took away the contact he felt bereft. How could he want her so badly when it seemed she would never reciprocate his feelings? Was he forever to be in this state of unrequited love with her?

She felt him pull back and part of her being screamed inside her head to just let go, to see where this would lead between them, but she hastily tamped down the portion of her consciousness that tried to reason with her. He was getting too close. It was like his eyes could see into her soul and the very thought of him being able to do so unnerved her to no end. 

He carefully tipped her chin up with his hand and slowly brushed his fingers against her cheek, as he struggled within himself to say the right words to her, ones that would convey his innermost thoughts. The seconds hung between them as he thought of how tired he was of hiding his true feelings for her.

EJ bit his lip with his teeth, trying to keep the words inside, but he realized he wanted her to know she was the only one he wanted to share everything with, for her to be the keeper of all of his secrets. He'd never had someone in his life he'd felt the need to reveal things to before the storm that was named Samantha had hit his life with a resounding force.

She was still, something inside her kept her rooted to the spot when he looked at her with those amazing brown eyes, he had a way about him like no other she had ever known before. She knew he wanted to say something to her, but then the sound of Allie crying broke them from whatever spell the moment had held for them.

Instantly they both started to head upstairs Sami saying, "I'll get her EJ."

"No, I'll go," he offered, quickening his steps as he moved past her and off he went leaving Sami to wonder exactly what he was going to say to her and then she silently questioned herself was she more afraid of the questions he may ask her or what her answers might be to him instead?


	2. Chapter 2

_Give Me the Remote!__**  
><strong>__Chapter 11_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Days of Our Lives or the characters._

Allie's cries awoke Johnny too EJ quickly realized as he stepped into their bedroom. He deftly picked up one crying baby, then the other one settling them one on each hip, their cries seemingly trying to outdo the other one.

"Shhh, it's okay, daddy is here," EJ said navigating carefully around the room with both of them. At first he had been quite overwhelmed when both of them wanted his attention at the same time, but now he was becoming surer in his parenting abilities the more time he spent with them. 

"Do you want to go rock? I know you both like for me to rock you in the rocking chair," EJ said as he carefully sat down and rearranged them both to rest comfortably in his arms while he began to rock back and forth in the chair with them. 

They were still fussy as EJ tried to comfort them, "Yes, I know it is so terribly hard to be unable to tell me what it is exactly that you want. Do you want a bottle little ones? Are you hungry?"

They both reached for him from their different sides, trying their best to get his undivided attention. EJ could feel their soft tugs as they tried to grasp him. He looked from one to the other, his love clearly shining through for them since he did not have to hide his emotions from them. He was free to love them whole heartedly even though their mother did not allow him that same luxury.

Sami had followed him up the stairs after she heard both of the twins crying, knowing EJ would need a hand with them although she doubted he would ever admit the fact. She stayed in the doorway; his back was turned to her as he spoke to the twins.

"I love you both so much," he cooed softy, kissing each one of them on their foreheads as he continued rocking them.

Sami's heart softened, he was so sweet and gentle with them, not making a difference in either one of them. It puzzled her that he seemed to care as much for Allie as he did Johnny. She quietly stepped into the room to watch him a few minutes longer as he talked to them.

"Hey do you need some help?" She asked, finally making her presence known to them in the room.

"I've got it, all they wanted was to get up I think," EJ said smiling at the twins with unabashed adoration, the look he gave them made Sami's heart skip a beat. He really did love them there was no doubt about it. "I guess they just wanted their daddy's attention for a few minutes." 

He said it, calling them both their daddy when he knew that Allie was Lucas' child. Sami had to make it clear to him Allie belonged to Lucas, not EJ before he ended up getting his heart broken about her true parentage. If Lucas were here he would be pitching a fit to see EJ holding his daughter and telling her that he loved her. 

"EJ, you know Allie is Lucas' child, she is not your daughter," Sami reminded him as his face instantly clouded over with her pronouncement. 

"Do you think I love her any less because she isn't mine?" EJ asked; hurt ripping at his heart over hearing the reminder that Allie wasn't his child. He loved her so much, she was an angel.

"EJ, it's just that…"

"I will make no difference in them Samantha, I love them both no matter what anyone says and I can't believe you actually would prefer for me to show partiality to Johnny over Allie."

"I didn't say that," Sami started to defend herself. EJ was taking this all wrong, she was worried that he would end up getting hurt when Lucas got out of this mess and Allie was becoming so attached to EJ it was going to be difficult for him to relinquish his ties to her.

"You implied it," EJ snuggled them both closer to him; his protectiveness for them was plainly etched upon his features. "DNA has nothing to do with how I feel about Allie or Johnny. Whether you like it or not, I'm the one who is here for them, not Lucas. Maybe he should have thought about that before he decided to shoot me." 

"Lucas thought what he was doing was the right thing," Sami tried to explain but she could tell her argument sounded weak even in her own ears.

"I know have done a lot of terrible things to you and to your family," EJ replied quietly, the regret in his voice evident, "things I wish I could go back and undo, but I can't. Just know this Samantha I love our children and before you remind me again that Allie is not mine I refuse to only love Johnny just because as you so bluntly put it he is my only child. Do you love Allie more than Johnny simply because Lucas is her father?"

"Of course not, I love them both," Sami replied hotly as EJ turned the tables on her with his question.

"Then don't expect me to do any less, as long as Allie wants and needs me in her life, I am here to stay whether you and Lucas like it or not," EJ stated with heartfelt emotion, no matter what Samantha said she could not change his feelings on this subject.

"EJ, I just don't want you to get hurt."

"Somehow Samantha I have a hard time believing that sentiment especially when I consider all the times you have wished harm to befall upon me."

"EJ," Sami wanted to reach out to him, but her pride kept her from doing so, he was hitting a nerve she just wasn't ready to deal with yet.

"They are both hungry, can you get me their bottles?" EJ asked wanting her to leave the room even if only for a few minutes. He didn't want to argue with Samantha in front of Johnny and Allie.

"Sure," Sami turned on her heel, the sting of his refusal not to prolong this conversation irking her, but she guessed it was for the best he didn't believe her; she really hadn't given him any indication otherwise that she could care about his feelings.

EJ watched her walk out the door and he returned his attention back to the twins. At least he could love them even if their mother wouldn't let him love her.

_Give Me the Remote!__**  
><strong>__Chapter 12_

_Author's note: This scene is a derivative of the jailhouse scene 1/22/08 USA airdate between Stefano and Lucas whereas the outcome I came up with is greatly varied from what we were shown onscreen. Dialogue in italics is from the show, other lines that follow afterward are my own creation. Also I had the time frame changed in that Sami and EJ were already in the cabin when Stefano had an offer for Lucas. Hope you enjoy please let me know what you think._

_"You weren't gone very long, were you?" Lucas asked as Stefano reentered their shared jail cell._

__

_"I always find it best when dealing with lawyers and their hourly fees to keep it short and sweet. Ah, did you miss me?" Stefano's voice was distinctly sarcastic although Lucas failed to pick up on the intended sarcasm._

__

_"You were talking about getting me out of here right before that guard came and got you," Lucas reminded Stefano._

___Stefano needed no reminder, he had a very specific use for Lucas, his jealously over Samantha and EJ would be a very useful tool indeed. He needed to play down his interest that the idiot might be willing to take the bait he was proffering to him. "Oh yes, and if I remember correctly, you wanted nothing to do with it."__  
><em> 

___Lucas tried not to fidget, although it was hard not to in the presence of Stefano DiMera, "Well why don't you tell me what it is, and then I'll tell you if I am interested."_

__

_"All right. The, uh, proposal is really quite simple. And it's something, I think, that you will find agreeable. I could use a little assistance in getting my grandson away from his parents." Stefano rattled off to Lucas, no rising emotion in his voice beyond stating the obvious intention of wanting Lucas to help him liberate his grandson Johnny from Sami and EJ._

__

_"You want me to kidnap Sami's son?" The expression on Lucas' face was priceless as Stefano's true intention was slowly dawning upon him._

__

_"Yes, Samantha and Elvis' son Giovanni. Doesn't that sound reasonable to you?" Stefano asked thinking that it was a sorry state of affairs when he had to resort to trying to lure imbeciles like Lucas Roberts to do his dirty work for him._

__

_"It doesn't sound reasonable to me at all." _

__

_"Why on earth not? If Giovanni is away from Samantha; that means Elvis is away from Samantha. I mean, I should think that would be something that would be enticing to you." __  
><em> 

___"Yeah, EJ out of Sami's life, yeah, sure. But kidnapping Sami's son? No, thank you. I'm not interested." Lucas shook his head, there was no way he would kidnap Johnny from Sami, no way at all. _

_"What a shame." _

Stefano eyed him carefully, and then decided to change tactics with Lucas. He said nothing more to him for a few moments only looked around the dreary jail cell, one he would soon be leaving even though he was not going to share that tidbit of information with Lucas.

"What?" Lucas asked him, when Stefano said no more to him just kept observing him along with the jail cell they both occupied.

"I just thought you would be willing to fight for Samantha." Stefano shrugged his shoulders and turned to dismiss him as if he were no longer in the room with him. 

"I would do anything for Sami, but what you're asking would destroy her," Lucas' voice finally began to take on a more dramatic tone.

"Now that is where you are wrong, what I am suggesting will only destroy Samantha and Elvis and their close relationship they have developed with one another, especially since you have been incarcerated."

"Sami and EJ are not close," Lucas started to become agitated. He hated EJ with a passion and the thought of Sami being with him brought up so many unwanted images in his mind.

Stefano threw his head back and laughed, "Is that what you think? You are sorely mistaken Lucas Roberts, or should I call you Lucas Horton? Whatever your last name is, just know this my son and your ex-wife are cozying up together in a safe house, one that made your dilapidated hotel room reek even more than it already did when you and Samantha were put up there by the Salem Police Department." 

"How do you know where they are at?" Lucas asked, wanting to know anything about Sami, he was desperate for information on her since she would tell him nothing more than she and the twins had been put in protective custody by Abe Carver.

"I know all," Stefano replied smugly. "And to think they are all alone in the mountains sharing a cabin with one another, Elvis, Samantha and the twins. They are one big happy family now that you are out of the picture."

"Sami despises EJ, she is not enjoying his company one bit," Lucas stated hotly, Sami was only there to protect the twins, not because she wanted to be with EJ.

"My sources tell me differently," Stefano leaned down speaking to Lucas as if he were talking to a close confidant of his, trying his best to increase Lucas' widely known insecurity of Sami being with EJ tenfold. "Why you know the latest I heard Elvis and the twins are bonding so strongly that your poor daughter Allie will have no recollection of you even being her father by the time you get out of prison. To think you shot my son and it only brought Elvis and Samantha closer together, not further apart. You really got their marriage off to a bang so to speak." 

Lucas said nothing, although Stefano could see the wheels starting to turn in his favor. Jealousy was always a strong motivator to people and adding in the vast insecurity and inferiority Lucas felt about EJ was only providing more fuel to the fire. 

"Allie will not forget me. Sami won't allow it," Lucas said unsteadily, his fears growing rapidly now that Stefano had uncovered them during their conversation.  
>Stefano said nothing, only pulled out a recent photo of EJ holding Allie and tossed it on the floor beside Lucas' feet.<p>

Lucas picked up the photo and cast his eyes back to Stefano, "How did you get this photo?"

"One of my men is guarding the supposedly safe house where Samantha and Elvis are living blissfully with your daughter. I believe this photo was taken yesterday or was it the day before? Time just seems to take on a different meaning when you are locked away, eh Lucas?"

"No, it can't be," Lucas wanted to tear the picture in two and throw it back in Stefano's face. His daughter was in the arms of the man who had tormented him for months. How could this be possible?

"Believe it Lucas; Elvis is living your life. He is married to Samantha and they are raising their children together."

"Allie is mine! She is not his daughter!" Lucas tore the picture in half unable to stand the thoughts of EJ raising his sweet little girl while he rotted away in prison. 

"Would you like to see another one?" Stefano started to reach into his pocket, but Lucas stopped him before he could retrieve another photo.

"No! I'll do it! That bastard is not going to take my daughter away from me!" Lucas' face contorted as his rage began to overtake him.

"Excellent Lucas," Stefano motioned for Lucas to sit down beside him which he reluctantly did. "Now here is what I need for you to do."

Lucas listened intently to Stefano's instructions, determined that he would do whatever was necessary to keep EJ away from his daughter. There was no way Allie was going to be raised as a DiMera, no way at all.

_Give Me the Remote!__**  
><strong>__Chapter 13_

EJ really was an enigma to her, just when she thought she had him figured out he would go and do something else entirely unexpected to throw her off making her second guess her decision to guard her heart so strongly against him. How he managed to throw her off track was quite unnerving to say the least.

She warmed up the bottles, making sure they were both at the correct temperature for the babies to drink. She was thankful for the chore, anything to get her mind off from thinking about EJ. He had taken what she was trying to tell him so out of context. Why couldn't he see she really was trying to look after his best interests?

Then she chuckled under her breath, of course EJ couldn't see she cared about his feelings. He was right, she'd wished ill upon him for over a year now. But it had not always been that way as she recalled happier times when EJ had been her best friend, her confidant and now she honestly couldn't say what she felt for him.

The anger against him had lessened as the days had passed eventually turning into weeks although it crept back in and reared its ugly head in the least opportune moments between them. Of course she wouldn't dare tell him her anger had become more of a smoldering ember instead of the intense flame that used to burn whenever he crossed her mind. The anger had kept her safe against falling for his lies and charms which he had an overflowing arsenal of in his possession. 

EJ was tied to her in so many ways and emotions that she had a difficult time trying to keep him from finding residence in her heart, a place she had denied him access despite his many attempts to gain entry. Sometimes she wondered why he kept trying, it was not as if she gave him any indication her feelings would change. Then a disastrous thought hit her one day he might not try anymore, then what would she do? 

She didn't have time right now to ponder the what ifs of her crazy mixed up life, the babies needed her full, no their full attention. She sighed and headed back up the stairs, bottles in hand to help EJ feed them. She bet he'd tell her he could do it by himself, but she was going to help him whether he liked it or not. 

She entered the room to hear EJ talking sweetly to the babies; his tone was one full of love for them, making her heart skip a beat because no matter what she threw at him, his love for the babies never wavered. Then the thought crossed her mind did his love for her not waver either?

"Thank you," EJ's voice broke her out of her musings almost making her jump when she heard the sound of his voice.

"You're welcome," she said quite distracted seeming to forget the reason for her errand to go downstairs to the kitchen to warm up bottles for the babies.

"Samantha, are you all right?" EJ looked at her with a mixture of concern and puzzlement over her actions.

She shook her head, handing him a bottle. "I can feed one of them."

"I can feed both of them," EJ stated matter of fact. Right now all he wanted was to concentrate on the children because Samantha clouded up his thoughts way too much when she was in the room with him, making him want things that apparently were never going to be.

"I want to help you. We're in this together, remember?" She asked not giving him the other bottle, keeping it herself.

He couldn't help the snort of derision that escaped from him over her last comment to him. Who was she kidding? She didn't want him to be here and now she was trying to cajole him into believing she'd suddenly had a change of heart? She'd tricked him one too many times for him to fall for that line so easily.

"Isn't that what you have been trying to tell me? That we are in this together?" Sami asked, her temper starting to flare up again when she saw EJ roll his eyes and shake his head over her suggestion of them being in this situation together.

"Now is not the time or place for us to be having this discussion," EJ said quietly, not wanting to raise his voice. "So if you'll give me the other bottle I will feed both of them."

"Hand Johnny to me," Sami ordered and reached for her son whom EJ reluctantly released to her. She took him in her arms and sat down in the other rocking chair located in the bedroom.

They stared at each other over feeding the babies, neither one of them saying a word to one another. Then they returned to the task at hand, feeding each baby, trying to give each child their full attention so they wouldn't have to talk. 

EJ rocked Allie back to sleep after she finished her bottle. Johnny was still barely awake as his mother gently rocked him. They sat in silence rocking their children until EJ arose from the rocking chair carefully placing Allie back in her crib. He stared at Allie in her sleep; she was so angelic that it made his heart ache. No matter what Samantha said to him, he would love her as if she were his own.

In a few minutes, Johnny could stay up no longer and he also fell asleep. Sami was loath to put him to bed because the silence between she and EJ was better than the bitter words and recriminations that many times spilled out when neither one of them had the children to distract them. She finally placed him alongside his sister, their connection a strong one even in their slumber as they instinctively sought one another out as soon as Sami laid Johnny down beside Allie. 

Seeing the twins this way made Sami miss Eric terribly. She wished she had her twin brother here to talk to him, maybe he could help her untwist all these jumbled thoughts that were warring against one another in her head. She wondered if her twin brother would like EJ or despise him. Eric made no bones at all telling her that he couldn't stand Lucas. No wonder Eric hated Lucas after he had married Nicole thus breaking Eric's heart in the process.

EJ was now standing by the window, moving away from her as soon as she made her way over to the crib the twins usually shared even though they both had separate beds to sleep in, most times they slept better if they were placed beside one another and it had become a habit for Sami and EJ to let them sleep together.

"EJ, I don't want to fight with you," Sami reached out her hand to place it on his shoulder although he immediately shrugged it off.

"Yes, you do Samantha," he said turning to face her, "but know this, I am not Lucas. I will not be your whipping boy you can talk down to and discount all of my feelings. I know you don't believe I am capable of loving someone."

"I didn't say anything of the sort," Sami interjected although she tried to keep her voice down now that the babies had both fallen asleep. 

"I love with a depth of emotion that you have no concept of because if you did, things would surely be different around here." And then he turned and left the room, leaving her to contemplate what he had just said to her.

Give Me the Remote!**  
><strong>Chapter 14

He kept to himself for the rest of the afternoon, lost in thought and doing anything he possibly could to keep his mind off from her, the woman who had him tied up in knots emotionally so much of the time that he could barely think straight. Thankfully she had stayed away from him, busying herself with various things within the cabin, making sure not to get too close to him.

He was surprised when she told him she had made dinner and somewhat wary of her invitation when she asked him if he would like to join her. 

He sat down across from her at the small dining room table and studied the setting that was laid out before him. She had gone to great lengths even though he had no clue as to why she had done so; it wasn't as if she wanted to impress him or anything. 

"Are you going to try it or just stare at your empty plate all night long?" Sami asked a little bit irritated EJ still wasn't saying anything to her.

EJ eyed the food on the table, it smelled and looked good, even edible in fact, but this was Samantha and she could be trying to play a trick on him. He didn't want to spend the night in the loo trying to recover from food poisoning.

"You try it first," he suggested as she gave him a look that was nothing short of pure evil.

"You think I'm trying to make you sick with my cooking," Sami fumed wishing she could throw it in his face and be done with it although she really was hungry. 

"You said it not me," EJ acted innocently as if the thought had not crossed his mind at all. 

"You're such a jackass," she muttered under her breath, before taking a sip of her tea, wishing she had a glass of wine to drink instead, in fact that is what she would do, go get a bottle of wine to drink, god knew she was going to need it to put up with him tonight.

"What did you say?" EJ asked although he was pretty sure she had called him some form of an ass before she took a sip of her drink.

"Never mind," Sami got up and strode to the kitchen, thinking she had seen a bottle of wine somewhere in here as she started opening up cabinets throwing the doors back with a force which resounded loudly throughout the downstairs of the cabin.

"Samantha, what are you doing?" EJ called out to her, the noises coming from the kitchen area were growing and he thought he also heard her growl at some point. The look she had given him before she left the table was answer enough, she was pissed at him already and the night had barely begun.

She didn't answer him, the pompous ass, and smiled when she found the bottle, now all she had to do was locate the corkscrew to open the bottle of wine. She rummaged through the utility drawer searching for one, she would scream in frustration if she did not find one. Luckily no screams were needed as she found the much needed contraption.

She returned to the table with the bottle in one hand, the corkscrew in the other, ignoring him completely as she set out to open the bottle of wine. She attempted to open it a few times until EJ arose from his chair and took the bottle from her and held out his other hand for her to give him the corkscrew.

Grudgingly she handed him over the corkscrew and he opened the bottle with ease much to her chagrin. She didn't want his help for anything, but here he was acting the hero once again. Well she'd not thank him she thought to herself as she took the bottle back and liberally poured herself a huge glass of wine.

She sat back down, apparently she would eat by herself she thought as she started to spoon out the contents of one dish upon her plate. EJ carefully took the bottle of wine to his side of the table and sat down once more, also pouring himself a glass even though Sami had not offered him one.

She was eating without him, and apparently no gastric distress was hitting her so EJ spooned him out a portion of what looked like some kind of chicken dish and took a bite, surprisingly it was quite good as the flavors hit his taste buds.

"This is good, thank you for cooking," EJ said hoping his lack of trust in her culinary abilities would be a thing of the past after she drank her big glass of wine.

"Yeah, whatever," she rolled her eyes at him, not believing him as she held out her empty wine glass signaling for him to pour her another drink.

He poured her another drink, not as big as the previous one she had poured for herself and then relented when she gave him a look that suggested she wanted more.

"Better go easy on the wine," EJ warned as she totally disregarded the warning by draining the entire glass in front of him.

"Don't tell me what to do," she narrowed her eyes at him and said childishly as she started to giggle. "You're not the boss of me."

"I might be," EJ wanted to laugh, she was quite hilarious when she wanted to be, with those big pouty lips just begging to be kissed, but he knew better, she didn't want his kisses; it was the kisses of another that she craved.

She could see his face cloud over, he was probably thinking of something profound and she didn't want profound tonight, she wanted to have some fun with EJ. They used to have fun together and her longing to have her best friend back increased tenfold, so she started laughing at him. She was tempted to throw some of the food at him just to get his goat for his apparent wariness over her cooking dinner for him in the first place and then she decided to have more wine instead because she didn't want to clean up the mess she knew it cause if she gave into her childish urgings.

"Hey," she motioned to him the wine sloshing in her glass as she held it up to the light as if she were checking it for clarity, "I cooked so you can clean up."

"Now who is being bossy?" He asked as he started to pick up the dishes from the table.

"Oh I am bossy," she winked at him while she took a sip, and then another as she made no attempt to help him clear the table. "Who knows you might like me being in charge." 

He leaned down to whisper wickedly in her ear, "Depends on if you want to be that way in bed or not."

She didn't say a word, the expression of her face said it all that he had actually gave it back to her, not worrying if she was going to be offended by his comment, which astonished her, but also made her giggle just a bit more. She watched him go back to the kitchen without saying anything else to her and she smiled thinking she might have to try out that theory on him sometime soon.

_**Give Me the Remote!**__**  
><strong>__**Chapter 15**_

He cleaned up the dining room along with the kitchen, never asking her one time for any help. Sami thinking Lucas rarely if ever helped her out cleaning up, no his forte was more in ways of trying to get her into bed even when she wasn't in the mood.

She frowned not wanting to think of Lucas and his shortcomings which were many and then thinking of shortness she started laughing again, unable to stop even when EJ came back around to give her a look.

"Sorry, I was just thinking of something being short and it made me laugh," Sami was trying to curb her laughter, but the harder she tried the more she laughed.

"Well I guess I don't have to worry that you are laughing about me," EJ shrugged and turned back into the kitchen, slinging a kitchen towel over his shoulder as he went back to finish up cleaning.

No EJ and short didn't belong together, that much Sami knew for a biblical fact even though she had not tried to dwell on EJ's endowments more than need be because if she did then…

She started laughing again and poured what was left in the bottle into her wineglass, saluting EJ as he was finishing up kitchen duty. He shook his head amused at her, trying hard not to get sucked in by her infectious laughter, if she wanted to share what she thought was so funny, she'd do it soon enough if she kept on drinking.

He went over to the fireplace, sat in what was quickly becoming his favorite chair, donned his reading glasses and opened up the book he had begun reading on earlier in the afternoon when he had tried to avoid Sami. He could hear her still giggling, it was a nice sound, one that he hadn't heard from her in such a long time and it made him wish he was the one who could invoke the level of merriment she seemed to possess this evening.

Sami finished what was left in glass and headed back to the kitchen, feeling the alcohol buzz from the wine instantly hitting her. She wanted to find another bottle of wine, although her attempts were for naught, she couldn't find another bottle anywhere.

He could hear her banging around in the kitchen searching for another bottle of wine no doubt, but he wasn't going to help her in her quest. Sami and drinking sometimes made a bad connection and he didn't want her mood to sour on him if she ended up drinking too much. So he continued reading even though it was very difficult to ignore her as she cursed under her breath when she couldn't find what she was looking for.

Sami stomped out of the kitchen a bit unsteadily, but she righted herself back up before EJ saw her. He was reading of all things, which normally was one of her favorite pastimes, although tonight she didn't want to read, she wanted to play.

And she had found the perfect playmate if he would ever look up from that damn book. He never looked her way; in fact he seemed completely engrossed in his book selection. Then another fit of giggles erupted when she thought he probably wasn't reading any of the books that had caught her eye earlier on in the day.

She was finally able to control her laughter, wondering what she should do since EJ apparently wasn't interested in conversation; once again her thoughts turned naughty thinking they really didn't need to talk. She mentally chastised herself, what was wrong with her, she had been spurning his attempts at any kind of physical intimacy left and right and now she wanted to jump his bones? What in the hell was wrong with her?

Maybe it was the light reflecting from the fireplace, the fire was burning brightly, the amber glow from it making the dark shadows of EJ's chiseled profile stand out even more. He sported a day's growth of beard which was enticing enough in itself, along with the light colored cable knit sweater hugging his muscles, but the thing that got her going more than anything was how damn sexy he looked in those glasses.

While she thought the wine may have had a tiny portion in her deciphering EJ's hotness factor tonight, she knew it had only magnified her true feelings toward him. EJ was a handsome man. She looked down at her wedding rings and she unconsciously twirled them around for a brief second.

Why shouldn't she just go after what she wanted which at the moment was namely tall, dark and handsome not to mention the fact that he was her husband. But he wasn't paying her a speck of attention, not one ounce and it made her second guess what she should do especially after she felt the necklace she always wore around her neck get caught in her hair.

The necklace, one she had vowed to wear from now on as a reminder to her of Lucas, her wedding bands from him securely draped on her for EJ to see and know she had married him against her will, that Lucas was the one she loved. Thinking of how Lucas had treated her over the years berating her at each and every turn even more so now he was in jail, the necklace felt more like a chain of bondage instead of one symbolizing their eternal love. 

Cautiously she got up from where she was sitting in the living room floor, trying her best not to interrupt EJ although she was starting to wonder if a tornado came through would he even raise his head up from the book he was reading. She made her way into the bathroom, splashed some water on her face and did the unthinkable.

She reached behind her neck for the clasp of the necklace finding it snared in a segment of her hair. She tugged on it wincing as some strands of her hair pulled loose from her scalp in the process of extracting the necklace. Then she looked at it, the necklace along with the rings and sighed, sadly she no longer wanted to wear them, she needed no reminder of Lucas because he was no longer in her heart, another man was and that man was EJ DiMera, her husband.

She folded up the necklace and placed it in the medicine cabinet, she would retrieve it later, save it for Allie if she wanted it when she grew up, but right now she had something very important to do and that was to go talk to EJ.

_Give Me the Remote!__**  
><strong>__Chapter 16_

He looked up as soon as she left the room; the temptation to see what she was doing was too much for him to keep up this charade of reading. He had tried to keep his composure serious especially when he thought she had been checking him out. Then he shook his head, Sami was immune to his looks, she wasn't interested in him as a man, at least not in the way he wanted her to be interested in him.

He wondered what she was doing, what was taking her so long in the bathroom and hoped she wasn't getting sick. If she was he would take care of her that is if she would let him. Sami did not easily allow him many liberties with her at all.

He was about to go check on her until he heard the door open and out she came, looking slightly flushed from the wine she had consumed earlier. He quickly turned his attention back to the book hoping to find the place where he had left off even if he had read the same passage over and over for the last fifteen minutes his train of thought completely derailed whenever he heard her laugh again.

He was still reading it was almost as if he were rooted at the spot. Maybe right now wasn't the right time for them to get into a serious talk, she wasn't sure EJ would believe her anyway, she wasn't really up there in the honesty category. Lying was second nature to her, why it was so much easier to lie than to tell the truth. She had gotten so very good at lying to herself that sometimes she even started believing the lies.

One of the biggest lies of all was she didn't care about EJ, but she did, only how to show him? That was a quandary all into itself and she knew she couldn't unravel the complexities of their relationship with one simple conversation.

Maybe she should go with her original thought which was getting EJ into a playful mood. She tapped her fingers against her mouth and thought of the best strategy to get EJ laughing. They needed to have some fun; there had been way too much sadness and sorrow for them both to deal with lately.

Feeling a braveness she didn't possess, she sauntered up to his chair casually tapping on his shoulder to gain his attention. 

He had to keep the smile from forming on his lips when she came to him, god all he wanted to do was sweep her up into his arms and carry her off to bed, he didn't want to spend another sleepless night on the uncomfortable couch that was way too small for his tall frame. It would be a miracle if he didn't have to see a chiropractor by the time they were free to go back home.

He had tried to be a gentleman, letting Samantha have the bedroom, but late at night it had taking all of his restraint not to go to her. He needed to change the direction of his wayward thoughts Samantha might be a tad bit tipsy, but she wasn't drunk.

He looked up at her, with those beautiful eyes of his and she wanted to melt right there on the spot into those strong arms. Instead she tried to keep her voice calm, yes calm and casual would be her mantra tonight. They were going to have some fun.

"Are you going to ignore me all night?" she asked placing one hand on her hip while leaning into his chair, careful not to lean too much or she would tip over and fall down flat on her face.

"Samantha, I wasn't ignoring you," EJ lied with an ease he didn't feel, she smelled so good, her scent a totally unique one that he couldn't quite place, only associated it with her no matter what, maybe one day he could pin down exactly what was in the intoxicating fragrance only she seemed to possess.

He was lying to her of course, why she had been covertly trying for over thirty minutes to garner one smidgen of his attention. She'd let it slide, only because she wanted to prove to him they could have fun with one another again, just like the first summer he had come to Salem forever changing her life.

"First off, you have to close this book," she reached into his lap brushing against him slightly with her hand even though she gave no indication that she could feel his hard on. Yes, she was well on her way to making him see how much fun she could be given the right circumstances.

"Oh, I do?" EJ let her toss the book down beside his chair and waited for her next move.

"Yes, no more serious reading for you tonight," she said with a mock authority in her tone, trying not to start laughing again.

"What shall I ever do then?"

"Well, I think we are going to have game night since it looks like the twins are not going to wake up anytime soon," she looked up the stairway, noting there was not a single peep coming from their bedroom from either one of them.

"I thought you were too scared to play games with me," EJ said reaching for his glasses to take them off, but she stopped him before he could remove them from his face.

"No, leave them on," she said, biting her lower lip for emphasis, she really did like him in those glasses for some strange reason.

"You like my glasses?" EJ gave her a look of disbelief; somehow he didn't see her thinking they were nice looking on him.

"Love them," she said without any hesitation on her part, just blurted it out and then turned as he started to get up or she would plop down on his lap and kiss him senseless before she thought better of it. "Oh and by the way, there is no way you can beat me in any game, I am the master of any board game in this cabin."

"Master, eh?" EJ started to chuckle thinking of ways he could master her then turned his attention back to the matter at hand, board games with Samantha, not bedroom games to play with her.

"Yes, master of them all," she pointed in the direction of the games with a wave of her hand. "Just pick one of them and rest assured I'm going to kick your ass playing any of them."

"Kick my ass, not bloody likely," EJ rolled his eyes, loving to hear the confidence in her voice even if it was misguided confidence.

"Let's make a wager on it then, winner picks whatever she wants loser to do for her," Sami grinned as she saw EJ looking over the array of games he had to choose from.

"So you're saying anything the winner wants the loser to do the loser has to do it, no questions asked?" EJ asked liking the wager on this scenario with each passing moment; oh the possibilities were unlimited with that kind of incentive to win.

"Yes, that is exactly what I'm saying," Sami replied sure she would win whatever game he chose to play with her.

EJ's eyes alighted with merriment of his own as he thought of what he would ask Samantha to do once he won the game. Now he just had to pick one and hope like hell that he would win.

_Give Me the Remote!__**  
><strong>__Chapter 17_

"Any game at all?" EJ asked as he looked over the selection in front of him.

"Yes EJ," Sami rolled her eyes at him and wished he would hurry and make a decision. 

"Okay then, let's see what we have here," EJ strolled over to the games eyeing each and every one of them carefully, making no move to pick one just yet which caused Sami to grow more impatient with him even though she held her tongue. Finally he picked one board game and took it with him to the dining room table.

"Scrabble huh?" Sami asked as she followed him to the table.

EJ pulled out a chair for her to sit down, "Yes, Scrabble with a twist."

"Scrabble has a twist to it?" Sami asked clearly dumbfounded by EJ's cryptic remark.

"Of course it does," EJ said confidently as he opened up the box laying out the game board, turning over the tiles and handing Sami a tile holder in which to hold her letters she would chose for the game.

"EJ Scrabble is just a game making words on the game board and then adding up your points," Sami explained to him patiently as if she were talking to a child.

"I know that Samantha, but as I said before our game has a twist to it," EJ went to the cupboard in the kitchen area, looked around for a few minutes and then walked back into the dining room area with a smile upon his face. He placed the two shot glasses on the table, one by Sami, the other by where he would sit. He then went to the sideboard and pulled out a bottle of Irish whiskey which he promptly put on the table between them.

"What is this for?" Sami eyed the whiskey bottle along with the shot glasses.

"Our Scrabble game is a no holds barred edition," EJ said smugly as he sat down and began to draw out his tiles while motioning for Sami to do the same.

"No holds barred?" Sami asked not quite sure what EJ meant.

"Any word is usable in this game, none of that silly nonsense of being unable to use words that could be construed to be irreverent, slang, off color phrases, and proper names can be used also," EJ added as he looked at his tiles a smile already lighting up his face as he contemplated his first word.

"Okay, so you're saying you can put dirty words into play in this game?" Sami asked as she began to study the tiles that she had drawn.

"Exactly, you've got it," EJ snapped his fingers together signaling that Sami was catching on to what he was trying to tell her about the rules of the game.

"One more question for you."

"Ask away." EJ said as Sami scooted her chair closer to where he sat at the table.

"Why the whiskey bottle and the shot glasses?" she asked, her fingers trailing down the side of the whiskey bottle.

"The person who has the lowest points each round has to drink a shot." EJ informed her as he reached for the bottle too, their hands making brief contact before Sami removed hers away from the bottle.

"Fair enough," Sami said. "You can go first because I'd hate for you to lose from the get go."

"You're far too generous," EJ remarked, looking over his tiles once more for a few seconds then playing his first word out on the board.

SENSUAL 

"Look there Samantha, I used all my letters so that makes it an automatic fifty points plus whatever my score is," EJ stated smugly, then added, "seven for all the letters and since it is on a double word score that would make my total sixty-four."

Sami wanted to hit him, he was so cocky, now she needed a word that would top this one, but as she looked over her tiles she pondered what she should do. It took her a few seconds, while EJ tapped his fingers on the table until she glared at him and he abruptly stopped his tapping on the table when she spelled her word.

LICKABLE

"Wow and just when you thought you had stumped me," Sami started to chuckle, adding up her total points. "Yes, drink up baby, my score is 82."

EJ poured himself a shot, "I'm your baby, eh?"

Sami shrugged her shoulders watching him down the shot, "Don't put words in my mouth."

"You said it, I was just verifying," EJ smacked the shot glass back down upon the table.

"Draw more tiles," Sami urged him as he drew another set along with her pulling her seven new tiles.

EJ studied his tiles, and then laid out his next word.

ORGASMIC

"Seventy-two point's darling," EJ stated as Sami looked at him quizzically.

"Are you sure the title of your game isn't Sexual Scrabble instead of just Scrabble?" She asked mulling over her choices.

"Sexual Scrabble, I like it," EJ started laughing until she shot him another dirty look. "Well you called it that, not me. Can I help it if I like the name? You put lickable down and I'm not even sure that is a word."

"It is a word," Sami defended even though she really wasn't sure, the wine was clouding her judgment.

"An action maybe, as a word highly questionable." EJ pointed out pushing up the nose on his glasses as if to prove his point.

"You were the one who said slang was allowed or have you never been lickable before?" Sami asked innocently.

"Why don't you come over here closer and see if I am," EJ challenged and she contemplated doing just that for a few seconds while he held his breath hoping she'd do it.

"Maybe later," she teased placing her tiles upon the board with a new word.

ECSTASY

"Sorry dear, only twenty-four points for you this time, although I have to say I really did like your word." EJ poured her a shot of whiskey into her shot glass which she downed quickly.

"Your turn," she gestured ignoring his compliment as he looked at the board and then back at his tiles.

Back and forth they went, one winning one round, the other winning the next although Sami was starting to feel the room spin around after the numerous shots she had to drink compared to EJ's amount he had to imbibe. 

"I think you are cheating," Sami slurred her words ever so slightly as she tried to focus on the board, their laughter growing with each new outrageous word listed along with the obvious innuendo that went along with most of the words they had chosen to play against one another.

"No way," EJ declared as Sami started to refigure the points. She frowned as she tried to decipher the numbers.

"You have been cheating," Sami got up from her chair unsteadily, pointing her finger in EJ's chest.

"Okay, I admit it, you really have won the game," EJ began to laugh as Sami fell down in his lap all the while glaring at him for trying to cheat. "So my Sexual Scrabble champ, what do you want me to do? I am at your mercy."

She studied him for a minute, reaching up to finally remove his glasses from him, her hand brushing down the side of his face before she placed them carefully on the table so as not to break them.

"Take me to bed," Sami said softly as she hooked her arms around his neck.

EJ paused, she was very tipsy and he didn't want her to tell him later on he had taken advantage of her when she awoke in the morning.

"Samantha, I don't know," he said wishing she was sober, but they had both been drinking and he wanted so much to do as she asked. If she kept wriggling in his lap it was going to drive him over the edge, insane with need for her as he was already even before they had even started playing this game tonight.

"I won, you have to do whatever I chose," she pulled him in for a kiss, her tongue flickering inside his mouth briefly before he pulled away. 

"I'll take you to bed," EJ said, picking her up as she snuggled against him safe in his arms.

"Good," she murmured against his neck placing a kiss on him there and sighing contently before adding, "you really are lickable you know."

He paused at the doorway, he had wanted entrance into this room with her ever since they had come here, but not this way, he wanted her choice to be with him one that she made with a clear mind and heart. He took her to the bed, carefully laying her down on it.

"Sweet dreams Samantha," he pulled back the covers enough to wrap her up in them.

"EJ, stay with me, please," her voice was insistent and it made him wish he was didn't care about her feelings, to just take what she was offering to him without any remorse, but he realized he had changed. He was putting her first even though he doubted she would think that at the moment.

"I'll see you in the morning." He leaned down and kissed her forehead as she reluctantly closed her eyes.

He left the room when he was sure she was asleep wondering why in the world he had suddenly developed a conscience that could overrule his libido. Either he was head over heels in love with her or he was certifiably crazy. As he turned off the lights and made his way to the couch pulling out a pillow and a blanket from the hall closet he guessed he was a little of both.

_**Give Me the Remote!**__**  
><strong>__**Chapter 18**_

He couldn't sleep no matter what he tried, the age old practice of counting sheep was of course no help, hell he already had counted an imaginary paddock full of the bleating creatures in his head and sleep still evaded him. The darkness surrounding him only reminding him of how lonely he was for her.

Tonight had been fun, the laughter they had shared was something he had thought was lost forever and to have even a tiny glimpse back into the world of their friendship sorely reminded him of how badly he wanted her back in his life in all facets, not just the physical side of a relationship. He wanted his best friend back; he needed her back as much as he wanted her as his wife in every sense of the word.

Given the traitorous thought of wanting something beyond the physical was a most sobering thought for him even with all the numerous liquor shots he had taken while playing their game. Yes, he knew he was quite capable of having a relationship with a woman outside of the physical realm, although he hadn't wanted more than that until he'd met her. This woman who had the power to leave him weak and defenseless yet he'd keep coming back for more. He was mystified over how much more he wanted from life now than he had ever dreamed of before their acquaintance.

She had asked him to stay with her, but when morning came he was sure she would scorn and berate him. One thing he did not have a lot of in any mass quantity was faith so it would take so much more coming from her than a drunken request that he take her to bed.

The thoughts of even being able to lie next to her in the bed was tempting enough as he wrestled with this wretched excuse that was called a couch. Punching the pillow didn't make it any more agreeable either for when he would move the blanket would tug one way or another much to his dismay.

Hours later he finally dozed off or thought he had and then he heard it. A sound a mere year before he would have laughed his ass off if someone had told him that the sound of an infant's cry could wake him up faster then he thought was humanly possible. Their simultaneous cries were loud for sure. He was confident their combined ability to reach such shrieking decibels of sound was a credit to their mother instead of to his own personality.

He drug himself up to a somewhat sitting position, ran a hand through his hair and attempted to rouse himself to a more awakened state of being. Getting up he gave the couch a nasty glare before walking up the stairs even though he knew inanimate objects could care less if he had gotten any sleep at all or not.

He glanced over at her room, the room he wished they were sharing together and was glad he had pulled the door to when he left to go back downstairs to that sadistic piece of furniture that was called a couch. Luckily she hadn't gotten up yet, he was still hesitant to see her even if he had played the part of the gentleman.

Their cries were growing louder as he entered the room, the iridescent glow emitting from the nightlight providing somewhat of a way for him to see their tear streaked faces without forcing him to turn on the brighter light of the room.

"It's okay, I'm here," EJ's words were soft spoken as he reached down in their bed scooping them both up into his arms. They needed to be changed for sure he noted and went about that task quickly, amazed that he a former racecar driver and seasoned world traveler was able to take care of these precious babies all on his own.

He had never known the concept of unconditional love until these two miracles had arrived into his life. Now he knew what a precious gift love was and while he knew their staying together in the cabin as a family was on borrowed time, he would cherish each and every moment with his children and god willing their mother if she would ever give up being so stubborn.

Well he could be stubborn too; he thought as he took the now changed babies downstairs, setting them each in their own high chair. He wouldn't give up on trying to make Samantha see she belonged with him until she did see it, that all the love she had ever dreamed of was right here in this room, with their family.

_Give Me the Remote!__**  
><strong>__Chapter 19_

Sami awoke in a mild state of disorientation as the morning light of the day began to filter into the bedroom. She squinted against the light, her eyes feeling as if sandpaper were attached to the inside of her eyelids themselves. Her head hurt, the pounding was like an insistent knocking upon a door, one that apparently wasn't going to let up anytime soon.

She shifted upwards to a sitting position carefully, even the slightest movement triggered more aches and pains. She surveyed the room, trying to figure out how she had gotten in here. The last she remembered was playing that crazy game of Scrabble with EJ, laughing with him and apparently drinking way too much for her own good. 

She looked down at her rumpled clothes, the ones she had worn yesterday as she taxed her brain trying to recall anything else and then it slowly started to clarify itself. Her laughing with him, then even admitting to herself she had been flirting with EJ. Slowly it was coming back in bits and pieces; she remembered vaguely she had won the game against him.

She had won the game, EJ admitted he had cheated some and so she had climbed in his lap and then…

Oh my goodness, she had asked him to take her to bed! Color flooded her cheeks as the memory washed over her, she taking off his sexy as hell glasses, linking her arms around his neck, drawing him in for a kiss and he finally agreeing to take her there and she hadn't been subtle in her intentions for him in the least. She bet he thought she was slutty to the nth degree, but it was clear he hadn't stayed with her.

First off, her clothes were still on her body wrinkled as they were, there was only the indention of where she had slept in the bed, she must not have moved an inch after falling asleep or maybe passing out whichever the case may be, she really had overindulged a wee bit last night. 

He had told her to have sweet dreams and kissed her on the forehead, he hadn't stayed with her even though she had asked him. She was so confused, how part of her could be disappointed that he had made no further move upon her and another part elated because she now knew without a doubt he did respect her enough not to take advantage of the situation which would have clearly been to his benefit. 

She didn't know what today would bring, but she needed to go face him and thank him for not letting her inner slut overrule her, then again maybe she wouldn't talk about the inner slut thing, he might be mistaken she really wanted him to take her to bed. Well she argued with herself that she did, but there was no way she was going to give the huge ego that he already possessed anymore ammunition.

She carefully eased herself out of bed, each movement making the pounding in her head grow exponentially. She needed something to drink, her mouth felt like it had an entire fleet of cotton bolls residing within it. She gingerly made her way to the bathroom surveying her face with a critical eye. She looked a mess, hair in complete disarray, traces of makeup from the previous day lingering upon her face. She took her clothes off tossing them unto the bathroom floor; she'd pick them up later, while once again noting all lingerie was intact before ridding herself of them, no articles of it were missing. 

She washed her face vigorously, sparring no inch of it as she scrubbed the last remnants of mascara away. At least she no longer looked like a hung-over raccoon, but not much better she surmised as she started to brush her teeth, almost gagging even though she continued. At least she hadn't been sick last night, one indignity she wouldn't have wanted EJ to see her in such a state, although she needed something to settle her rolling stomach this morning.

She left the bathroom naked, she'd take a shower later, and right now she needed something to help make this incessant throbbing in her head go away. She hurriedly picked out some clothes from the vast selection she had brought with her, a small smile coming to her face when she remembered EJ asking her exactly how many suitcases did she need to take with them when they left Salem.

Well she was glad she hadn't listened to him, a girl liked to have a choice in what she wanted to wear even if she wasn't planning on going anywhere. There wasn't too much of an option in that department, unless they had a police escort they weren't leaving the mountain anytime soon. She'd rather die than admit it, but she had grown to like living here with the twins and EJ.

She attempted to pull up her hair in a loose ponytail, not pulling on her hair too much since her head was hurting so badly, but she at least looked halfway presentable. She stopped at the twins room, wondering why they were still asleep, they usually awoke during the night and were early risers, traits she hoped would lessen over time since she really would love to have more sleep, although that would come when they were older. At least she hoped it would happen.

They weren't in their room and a fear crept over her, until she heard their rather loud baby babblings drifting up from downstairs, apparently EJ had woke up with them and hadn't bothered her, letting her sleep instead. Walking down the stairs she realized how much he had helped her with the twins, having him around made things so much easier. It had been terrible trying to do it all by herself after Lucas had been arrested. 

No, she wasn't going to think of Lucas this morning, her mood was teetering between good and bad and if she let her thoughts linger upon her ex-husband then her mood would definitely go on a more ill tempered route than she wanted it to go.

The sight that greeted her was rather comical, if she told people she didn't think they would believe how wrapped up in his children EJ had become. Then she corrected herself, his child and Lucas' and for the first time that thought made her sad, because she was starting to think of EJ as their father, not Lucas at all. Allie wouldn't even remember Lucas by the time he was out of jail; her daughter was as clearly devoted to EJ as much as he was to her. 

They hadn't seen her yet so she stayed back just to observe their interaction, apparently EJ was attempting to feed both of them at the same time. Several jars of baby food along with a box of the baby cereal that he had prepared were opened upon the table; bowls were filled with a variety of things for them to try since it looked like some of the first offerings had not been well received by her precocious pair.

EJ was bent down, his pajama pants low on his waist and the clingy white t-shirt he wore only emphasized his musculature physique instead of hiding it was splattered with such a myriad of stains that is almost looked like an abstract painting work in progress. Who would have thought the high and mighty EJ DiMera would be so patient and caring with these babies? His usually well kept appearance was nowhere in sight, in its stead was mussed up hair and she thought from where she was standing there was also some of the slung rejected baby food in it. 

"Come on guys, you know this is good," EJ tried to coax them into taking a bite of the baby food, only to have them turn their heads away when he brought the spoon to their mouths. "Just try it, see it is good." EJ bravely put a spoonful of the mush into his mouth trying not to make a grimace and spit it out like his children had done when he tried to feed it to them.

She couldn't contain her laughter anymore even if it only made her head hurt worse by laughing.

EJ turned around to look at her, she looked a tiny bit like she might be under the weather, but still good to him, then again she always looked good to him no matter what she wore or mood she was in at the moment.

"You think this is funny that our children are totally wrecking the kitchen with their refusal to try anything new?" EJ asked turning around so she could see the full extent of the twin's expulsions of food upon him.

"I don't think the kitchen is wrecked, although now I can't say the same for you," Sami noted as she went to the kitchen cabinet and brought out another jar of baby food. She took the bowl of cereal away from his hands and placed a dollop of baby food applesauce in it and stirred. Then she offered it first to Allie and then to Johnny which they both readily accepted from her. "See all it takes is just adding some of this into the cereal and they will eat it."

"Applesauce eh?" EJ asked as the twins readily ate the rest of the cereal that their mother offered to them without them refusing to eat for her, not to mention they did not throw any kind of food back on her.

"Yes, applesauce makes it sweeter so they will eat it better," Sami smiled triumphantly after they finished their food without even getting a speck of baby food upon her.

"So they like it sweetened?" EJ asked reminding himself to stick that piece of information into his already growing file in his mind of what the babies liked and disliked. It was amazing how easily it all seemed to come to Samantha, she was a wonderful mother.

"Yes it is just a trick I learned with Will, he was the pickiest eater I had ever seen so I had many trials and errors with him that helps with taking care of these two" Sami leaned down to kiss them both upon their cheeks, unmindful that they were sticky from turning their heads away when EJ tried to feed them. "My head is killing me; will you pour me some coffee?"

"You do not need coffee sweetheart," EJ informed her as he turned to the kitchen counter and retrieved a few items along with the blender.

"How do you know what I need?" Sami asked, crossing her arms over her chest. "I've got the most terrible hangover and I want some coffee."

EJ shook his head, "Coffee will only make you a wide-awake drunk, not a sober one."

"I am not a drunk," Sami began immediately on the defensive with him before he could finish out his thoughts to her. 

"Not saying that sweetheart, just if we even had some decent coffee here, which of course we do not," EJ stated as he looked at the can of coffee with a certain degree of distaste, "the coffee will help ease your headache, but the caffeine is only going to increase you dehydration instead of lessen it. Plus we need to have low-acid organic coffee, this stuff is swill."

"I'm sure the guys will love our new grocery list," Sami retorted attempting to get some coffee herself since Mr. Know-It-All wasn't going to comply to her wishes to pour her a cup. She started muttering under her breath again about some of his less than stellar attributes which he chose to ignore, simply going ahead with putting some sort of concoction together in the blender.

He stopped her before she could pour the coffee into a coffee mug by giving her a withering look, "Can you just try this remedy I know of before you go spouting off about it?"

"I do not spout off about things," Sami started to argue until he handed her a glass with something in it. She gave him a wary look and sniffed at the contents, her nose wrinkling up before she even took a sip.

"Just drink this," EJ said, taking a dishtowel with him as he started to attempt to clean up the mess in the kitchen.

"What's in it?"

"Nothing much, a banana, a dash of honey, milk and a ground of aspirin though you might need two considering your disposition," EJ noted as he took the dishtowel to the sink to wet it some, the baby food had made a mess everywhere it had touched. 

"My disposition?" she asked only to have him give her a look that relayed exactly what he thought of her attitude this morning.

"While I know you are under the false impression you are as sweet as these precious children here," EJ said taking the time to kiss each one of them on top of the head, that seemed the least place he found for them to have baby food on them, "but woman you are so far from being sweet that it falls to the other side of the spectrum."

She was tempted to toss this glass of stuff on him, it really couldn't hurt since he was a walking billboard of discarded baby food anyway, just to show him how far off the spectrum he was by saying something like that to her, but she let it slide, instead giving him what she hoped was the sweetest, although fake, smile she possessed in her arsenal of feminine wiles. She lifted her glass and drank every last drop of it and then laid the glass on the counter, proud it wasn't coming back up like she thought it might before she took a sip of it.

"At least you will listen to me some of the time," EJ muttered although she had heard what he said and proceeded to try to take away the dishtowel from him, but he wouldn't let go of it.

"Let me help you," Sami tried once more to grab the dishtowel away from him and saw he winced when he tried to straighten up his back, the pain flitting across his face momentarily and then it was gone so quickly she almost wasn't sure if she had seen it or imagined it. Her eyes narrowed in concern, "EJ are you okay?"

"It's nothing," EJ tried to dismiss her, he wasn't going to let her know his back was killing him, sleeping on the couch was not helping it in the least.

"Is your back hurting?" Sami asked, not liking that he was trying to put her off.

When he didn't answer only turned away to go to another spot in the kitchen she cornered him where he couldn't' get past her without forcibly moving her away from him. "Samantha it's nothing, you're making more out of this than is necessary."

"EJ you were paralyzed and in a wheelchair not so very long ago," she began and he tried his best to wave her away, but she wouldn't back up from him.

"Please don't remind me," EJ didn't like to think of that dark time in his life, when he had been ready to give up on it all when he thought he would never be able to walk again.

"I know you don't like to think about it," Sami said quietly, wishing somehow he would open up more to her about things like this, but it was hard to get him to let her inside, he'd rather turn the tables on her instead trying to delve into her psyche. 

"No, I don't," EJ stood straighter to his full height, towering over her in hopes that she would move.

She stood her ground; she wasn't intimidated by him at least not at this particular moment in time, "Maybe in a little while when the kids take a nap, I could massage your back for you. It might make you feel better."

He couldn't stop the look of confusion that clouded his face, she was just all over the place from one extreme to the other and he never quite could figure out exactly where she was coming from, one minute she could be angry as hell with him and the next offering to help him, being sweet even though he had said she wasn't sweet at all.

"Afraid you might like it too much?" She taunted him with a challenge in her voice that he loved hearing.

"You might like it better than I," EJ retorted, but the thought of having her hands on him was very tempting indeed.

She snorted, "I doubt it since I'm only doing it for medicinal purposes."

"Medicinal purposes only? I guess if I accept your offer of a massage I will in essence be your guinea pig?"

"Guinea pigs are small," she said giving him a once over from top to bottom, "and somehow you and small don't share much in common."

He couldn't decipher if she was paying him a compliment or not, but before he could say anything else, the twins demanded their attention and they went back to taking care of them. EJ guessed today would be a pretty good day after all; at least he hoped it would be one to remember.

_Give Me the Remote!__**  
><strong>__Chapter 20_

The morning went by rather swiftly, bathing the twins, talking and playing with them, they were growing so much with each and every passing day. Despite all the work that went into caring for them Sami and EJ both enjoyed spending time with them. They didn't agree on a lot of things, but on this subject there was no denying they both loved the babies and what joy they had brought into both of their lives ever since their birth.

She hadn't insulted him all day, if anything; she had been reasonably nice to him. She'd been far nicer than she'd had to be, especially since she reminded him almost daily of how he had gotten them into this situation, but today she hadn't said a word about wishing they were back home in Salem.

When finally both twins were down for their afternoon nap, EJ wondered if she would hold true to her offer of a massage or would she find some kind of reason to withdraw her offer completely. His back was hurting him, more than he wanted to admit to anyone least of all to Samantha, she didn't need to know another weakness about him, she already knew far too many for his own liking.

"Well they are asleep," Sami commented after they placed them down in the baby bed together.

"Yes, they are," EJ agreed thinking she wouldn't go through with this after all because her voice seemed kind of shaky when she announced they were both asleep.

"Samantha, what you offered to do for me earlier, really there is no need," EJ was doing his best to get her out of it without trying to embarrass her in the process. 

"I knew you would chicken out," Sami rolled her eyes at him. "You are just a big ol' sissy."

"I am not a sissy, far from it young lady," EJ walked across the hallway to her room and entered into the sanctuary he had wanted to do since the first day they had arrived. "As for this ridiculous notion that I'm chickening out, I was only trying to do the gentlemanly thing by allowing you an escape from your previous commitment to me."

He took off his dark top, muscles rippling in the process while he neatly folded it up and placed it on the night stand beside the bed. Now clad in only jeans and a pair of loafers with no socks, he casually reached down to take off his shoes.

Sami bit her bottom lip; it ought to be a law against looking that good she thought. She shook her head; she needed to get those kinds of thoughts out of her head pronto. EJ stood there by the bed awaiting her next instruction as if he had all the time in the world on his side.

"If you... lie down..." Sami said awkwardly, her confidence wavering slightly when she realized that he would be lying down in the bed, his massive frame taking up the space as effortlessly as a panther stalking its prey in the woods and even though she was in charge of this little venture between them this afternoon suddenly the feeling of power was quickly ebbing away with his hot and hungry gaze upon her.

"Okay," EJ said huskily, still not averting his eyes away from her until he sat down upon the bed, lying on his stomach in the middle of the king size bed, his head on the pillow turned away to one side, his hands under it, waiting to see what she would do next.

Sami looked down at the darkened tanned expanse of his back, her fingers itching to touch his skin. He gazed back at her with an expression blatant enough to make her blush to the roots of her hair as she quickly excused herself to go retrieve a bottle of massage oil from the bathroom.

"I'll be back in just a minute," she announced, the bottle of kissable vanilla flavored massage oil in her hand hidden from him as she left the room to go warm it up just a slight bit before applying it to his skin. She only wanted it warm enough to make his muscles feel better nothing more she argued with herself as she tried to keep her nerve up. 

She was back in the room, the bowl in one hand the massage oil in another as she poured out an amount into it watching the liquid swirl in silken ribbons in the bowl. She sat beside him carefully, one hand hovering just over his back, not yet touching that expanse of male finesse that she could see from her vantage point. Just looking at him from this angle, him patiently waiting, not saying a word, with only his jeans on was enough to make her wet without even grazing his perfect skin.

Now or never, she decided, and rubbed her hands together to get them warm enough before dipping them into the also warmed scented oil. She was going to give him one hell of a massage that he was never going to be able to forget.

She was glad EJ had added some logs to the fire before they had headed upstairs to put the babies down for their nap. Even though her bedroom was upstairs the warmth of the fire floated upwards making her room seem cozy although right now it was hot enough in here without any added degree of temperature.

She touched him first only with one hand on his shoulder blade, Sami wasn't quite sure, but she thought he gave a little sigh of contentment as her hands started to venture out on his skin, delighting in finally being able to touch him without censure from either herself or him. His tanned skin was so warm and smooth, and for a moment she ceased her movements and she stared, thinking he had no clue as to how mesmerizing his body was to her. It had been torture for her to stay away from him and now that she was able to explore at least this part of his body, it was heavenly.

She had to take her mind off of wanting to see more of his body, "Where is your back hurting?"

"It's feeling quite better at the moment," came the muffled reply from the pillow where EJ had laid his head on the bed.

"Don't evade the question," Sami warned, increasing the pressure of her hands upon his backing making him groan aloud under her ministrations.

"I thought the purpose of a massage was to relax not become more tense," EJ said trying to get up to face her, but she pushed him back down.

"Is sleeping on the couch hurting your back?" Sami asked as the thought just occurred to her no wonder his back hurt. How could she have been so insensitive not to realize this before now? She had been so adamant about them not sleeping in the same room that she hadn't thought EJ might need more comfort than the couch was providing for him.

He didn't answer her, his pride wouldn't allow him. He would not beg to sleep with her in this room, no matter had much he wanted to do so.

His unwillingness to answer her question was answer enough, so she squeezed some more oil onto her palms, and then began to smooth it down his back so it was all becoming slick with the oil.

"That does smell good; did you find it here in the cabin?" He asked as the smell of the oil drifted up to him while she continued to rub it in lightly, using sweeping circular motions, slowly increasing the force of the action, as she enjoyed watching the play of muscles move underneath her fingertips.

"No, I brought this from home; somehow I doubt the boys would have stocked the place with Victoria's Secret kissable massage oil for us, especially Uncle Abe."

"So you mean to tell me you had this planned all along? To get me under your spell with what has to be the best massage I've ever had," EJ murmured his approval over a particular movement of her hands.

"No I didn't have this planned," Sami stopped momentarily, "but you should be glad I didn't listen to you when you told me not to pack so much stuff to bring with me because if I haven't you would have been subjected to plain ol' baby oil instead of this delectable oil here." To prove her point more clearly she leaned over her lips barely above him, to kiss a spot on his back, taking her time as her tongue started to trace a hot trail upon his skin.

"Oh my god, you are a temptress," EJ shifted wanted to get up, but she wouldn't allow it as she continued to concentrate solely upon his pleasure, not hers. "You should have been a geisha."

"Sorry not subservient enough," she replied in between placing kisses along his back.

His laughter erupted from inside him, deep and full and she realized how much she liked the sound of it.

"At least you are honest about some things," EJ added, finally extricating her from her spot on the bed to face him.

"I'm honest about a lot of things," Sami said as EJ tried to hold back his laughter, but he couldn't do it and erupted in an even heartier laugh than to her reply to his geisha comment a few moments before.

"You better stop laughing at me EJ or I'm going to…"

He kissed her before she could say another word, deftly rolling on top of her as her hands slipped down his back to the waistband of his jeans. Part of her was telling her that she should push him away, but he felt so good on top of her she told that part of her to shut up and returned his kiss thinking to herself sometimes you just had to listen to your heart instead of your head.


	3. Chapter 3

_Give Me the Remote!__**  
><strong>__Chapter 21_

They kissed playfully at first, kisses that nipped and tugged at each other, both pulling back before it could get too serious and then it happened the tempo slowed and this kiss was more intense. If they kept this up, there was no telling where it might lead.

She moaned as she felt his jeans rub up against her skin tight black yoga pants in places that made her go all fluttery inside and she still had on all her clothes. What would she do if they were both naked in this bed with one another? Thinking this only made her want to find out all the more, but of course her practical side was screaming for her to not go there for it would be dangerous territory indeed, one she might not come out of unscathed.

He must be feeling it too, Sami thought as EJ drew back from her, reaching to take out the band that held her hair in a messy ponytail. He drugged his fingers through her hair savoring the touch of it. Their eyes met and before Sami could avert hers away, he returned his hands each side of her face so that she couldn't turn away from him.

"Samantha, please let me be a real husband to you," his voice was soft, yet brimming full of promise and passion all at the same time as his eyes seared into her as if burning a hole into her very soul.

"You are my husband EJ," Sami needed to change the course of this conversation or she was going to be swept up in something she feared she wouldn't ever be able to walk away from when everything was said and done.

"No, I'm your roommate, not your husband and there is a huge difference between the two," EJ was serious, he was not backing down from this issue, it was way past time they had this discussion, it was what he had wanted to say to her the other day before they were interrupted by the baby crying.

"And here I thought all you wanted was a good back rub," she tried to joke her way out of it, but he wasn't having it.

"I want a hell of a lot more from you than just a back rub and you know it," EJ shifted down a bit just so she'd know firsthand what she'd be missing out on if she chose not to deepen their relationship any further.

"EJ, you're making it difficult for me to think," Sami gasped arching upward as he stayed exactly where he was never taking his eyes off her for a second.

"Good, I want you to think about what it is that you do want," EJ caressed her face. "Samantha I've waited and wanted to be with you for so long now that I'm afraid you'll never want to be with me in the same way."

"EJ, I'm not good for you or anybody for that matter. My track record with men is a train wreck, plain and simple."

"Nothing is simple with you, or plain, and while I can't vouch for the previous train wrecks you've encountered, I know one thing for sure is that I'd rather be on a ride with you than anywhere else in the entire world. I love you, through the good and the bad and you know as well as I do, the bad has certainly outweighed the good." 

"You should just give up on me, I'm never going to cause you anything but pain and misery, just ask Brandon, Austin or even Lucas, they've all blamed me for their ruin in the end. I'm damaged goods EJ, no doubt about it." He had wanted honesty from her and god it really hurt when she let it cut loose from the place she tried to hide all her disappointments and hurt life had brought her way.

"I don't give a damn what any of them think, especially Lucas. You deserve someone who isn't going to give up when times get tough or you try to push them away which you are great at by the way. I'm willing to suffer through whatever pain you're willing to dish out, because granted you are huge pain sometimes, but honestly I'd be lost without you. All I want is for you, me and the kids to be a family, a real family. I never even knew what love was until you came into my life. I've given up everything to be with you, everything Samantha. My father who I adored above all others in life has disowned me, I will never be allowed back into his good graces, but I don't even care anymore. I'd rather be penniless and have you, then all the riches in the world like I had before. The money and power that comes with being a DiMera doesn't mean anything if I don't have you."

"EJ, you scare me. I toss any and everything your way trying to get you to go and you stay no matter what I do."

"Well sweetheart you absolutely terrify me sometimes, but I'm willing to give it a shot if you'll have me. We can make a fresh start, no threats like before, just us and the kids. I'd marry you all over again to make things right between us. I want all of you, call me selfish, but I won't settle for less than the entire package."

"Not even for just some really good sex?" She had to ask, just to know for sure, she knew how men were, they got their rocks off and then somehow it all went to hell in a hand basket before the end of the week.

"Not even for some mind blowing incredible sex, and darling it has been a hell of a lot longer time for me to go without than it has for you," he leaned down and kissed the side of her neck, causing her to wish he would just get on with it. She was seriously in need here and he was taking shameless advantage of the situation.

"You are one greedy bastard," Sami concurred, a smile forming on her lips as hope began to build in her heart He was so crazy to put up with all of her crap, he must really love her or he was out of his mind, she sincerely hoped it was the former instead of the latter because she really wanted to get him naked sometime soon.

"The greediest for sure," he pushed some stray hair back from her face thinking of all that he would do to her if she only agreed to let him into her heart.

"Well I guess that I could sacrifice, mind blowing incredible sex has always held such a fascination for me, especially since I hardly ever," she paused slightly shrugging her shoulders, "well you know, men do seem to get more enjoyment out of the act instead of women."

He howled with laughter and fell to her shoulder enjoying the closeness with her even without them doing a thing more than kiss yet, "Sweetheart you are in for a treat then because I can assure you that you'll get plenty of enjoyment from me."

She looked at him dubiously, "Like more than one? Somehow I think you might be overestimating your sexual prowess, you know a lot of men tend to do that."

"I'm not like most men," EJ said confidently. "I'm thinking at least three for you, if not more. Guess we would just have to try it out to know for sure, that is if you are agreeing to everything." 

"The real husband part?" Sami asked as she moved provocatively underneath him.

"Yes, that part. Will you marry me all over again Samantha?"

"Can I wear another black dress?"

"To show your devotion? You actually remembered me telling you the story about the Spanish Roman Catholic brides wearing black to symbolize their devotion until death?"

"Well considering I am Catholic, it is a pretty cool concept and if you can knock out at least two or three for me per encounter like you are bragging about being able to do then I guess I'm in it for the long haul with you."

"You are incorrigible," EJ smiled as he started to laugh again.

"So they tell me, now do we need to sign a contract or is this like a try it before you buy it kind of deal?"

"I love you," he leaned down to kiss her again, but she stopped him before their lips touched.

His brow furrowed, surely she wasn't going to turn him away, but she completely surprised him with her own admission, "I guess you should know that I love you too, and not just because of those promised future orgasms you say are coming my way."

"Really Samantha?"

"Well I didn't want you to think the enticement of the big O looming on the horizon was the deciding factor or anything," she started to giggle as he leaned down to kiss her again and this time she welcomed him in with open arms.

_Give Me the Remote! Unrevised version__**  
><strong>__Chapter 22_

As soon as their lips met, she responded like the temptress he managed to arise from deep within her locked away fantasies, she wanted it all, the breathiness, the feeling of being swept away into something bigger than the both of them. EJ was the man who could transport her to another time and place, one where it was just the two of them.

Although he was typically now more or less a cynical man, she could bring the spirit of the hopeless romantic that still resided in his slightly blackened heart to the surface. After hearing her quirky profession of love for him, it made the man who wanted to be her knight in rather tarnished instead of shiny armor want to come in and claim her for his own. It was past time for them to discover all the delights and treasures in each other.

His kiss deepened and she felt herself growing more alive with each passing second. She was already drenched with need for him and he'd done nothing beyond kissing her. How would she ever be able to wait until they fully consummated their marriage?

She wanted him inside her now, but somehow she knew he would prolong her wait, after all she had claimed that men got more out of sexual encounters than women and she had known throwing the gauntlet down would only encourage EJ to show her the error of her ways. Or at least she hoped it would.

He pulled back from her and smiled, a wicked smile, but a smile none the less as he made his observation, "You have on way too many clothes darling."

"I do?" she asked coyly, wanting nothing more than for him to take them off her, she wanted to be revealed to him, her feminine instinct of being the object of his desire further aroused her. She felt close to orgasm and he wasn't anywhere near the place that ached for him to join with her.

"Yes, you do," he answered, sitting back on the bed as he slowly unbuttoned the shirt she was wearing, small tiny buttons that somehow magically came undone with his deft fingers that casually traced the swell of her breasts as he took his time ridding her of her shirt. The white lacy scrap of material that barely covered the tips of her nipples was enough to drive him insane, but he held back, he was going to worship her body as he had done so many times in his dreams, although the reality made those nighttime visions pale in comparison.

He pushed the sleeves down on her shirt, not taking it off from her arms just yet, rather keeping her arms in place for a few minutes while his fingertips brushed over the lace, tracing the infinitesimal patterns of the material with a sole minded purpose of just watching her nipples try to crest above the confines of her bra.

"EJ," she said trying her best to shrug out of her shirt, but he would have none of it, gently stopping her from completing the task.

"Wait sweetheart," was all he said to her when he stilled her from movement.

"I want to touch you," came her shameless reply as her eyes sought to bring him away from just looking at her body.

"I've waited long enough to dictate how this first time as husband and wife is going to be with us," EJ said decisively, no one was going to deter him from taking his own sweet time savoring each and every part of her body.

She liked the sound of that although she wouldn't readily admit it to him, so she laid back and let him continue onward. She was more than ready, but apparently he was going to make her wait a bit longer. She tried not to show her lack of patience, but it was a difficult job indeed.

Sami drew in a breath as he leaned forward, arching her back as if to give him better access. Drawing the moment out as long as possible, EJ hesitated for just a few mere seconds, long enough for Sami to begin to shift restlessly, and then when he was satisfied that she had waited a sufficient enough allotment of time, he lowered his mouth to her still lacily clad breasts.

Slowly, as if he had all the time in the world to impart EJ nuzzled and lapped his way right across Sami's cleavage, forsaking his own needs and his ever present growing erection that was becoming harder to ignore in more ways than one. Sami was taking deep, heaving breaths, not saying a word to him, just reveling in the exquisite torture of his tongue wetting her bra as the material chafed against the already over sensitive area of her nipples that seemed to harden even more as he licked her against the lace that strained to hold her breasts in place.

She could stand no more and said his name again breathlessly, and he raised his face up from his current task to look at her, eyes meeting with both sets burning with pent up desire as his hands reached up and braced on either side of her.

"Yes Samantha?" EJ asked, her name resounding from his lips like a love song she had heard before somewhere back in time before even though she couldn't focus enough to remember exactly when or where she recognized the melodic tone of his voice. She flicked her eyes away from his uncomfortably, still somehow unable to verbalize what it was exactly that she wanted him to do.

He decided to give her an easy way out. Her opening up to him earlier was as much of a miracle to him as this was, probably more so since she had fought him tooth and nail against allowing him access to her heart. With that thought firmly entrenched in his mind he simply asked her, "Would you like more from me?"

She paused a moment which EJ waited patiently through. He had patience down to a tee, a necessary attribute he had acquired while learning to deal with this wild and free spirited woman, one that taught him new things each day she was around him. Life before Samantha had been a pale facsimile to him, now each day was bursting forth with new and exciting things and right now he had the most delectable creation on earth before him craving his touch as much as he craved her own.

She shook her head yes, afraid to articulate all the things she hoped he would do to her. She was already overwrought with this unquenched lust for him and he seemed to be content just to admire her, barely touching her with flicks of his tongue and nips of his teeth that set her body aflame.

He took her acquiesce to heart and ran his hands lightly over her abdomen, his touch so gentle it almost tickled her and she would have laughed if not for the seriousness that shined in his eyes for her. How could she have taken for granted those smoldering looks of desire that he bestowed to her alone? She must have been mad trying to repeatedly push him out of her life.

Then her thoughts were interrupted when he cupped and kneaded her breasts through her bra, driving her to the point of distraction by still not taking it off her. She let out a soft moan when he let one hand trail down as he went about the process of unbuttoning her pants. The cool air hitting her legs as he managed to push them down away from her body, but leaving her panties on her as he started rubbing slowly over that the thin scrap of lace her thong covered. Sami jerked against him, panting lightly, and he stroked her thoroughly, her wetness already soaking his fingers as they sought her out.

He'd barely touched her and she was whimpering, her orgasm hitting her as fast as lighting streaking across the night sky. She rolled her head back against the comforting plush of the pillows that cradled her head while his voice told her in a raspy tone, "That's one sweetheart."

She closed her eyes for a brief moment, god he hadn't even taken off her clothes yet and he already had her coming hard. She tried to catch her breath and before she knew it he spoke again, "Are you ready for number two?"

She smiled and licked her lips, mentally kicking herself for not letting him work his magic on her before now. At least they could make up for lost time as she replied, "Oh hell yeah!"

He chuckled loving her answer and started again much to her delight.

_Chapter 23_

He finally removed her unbuttoned shirt freeing her arms which immediately snaked their way around his neck pulling him in for kiss, as she tried to pull him closer.

"Not yet," EJ shook his head untangling himself from her arms only to be rewarded with the beginnings of a pout of her luscious mouth, but he would not stray off his intended course of showing her how much she had been missing out on by forgoing to deepen their relationship and he intended to deepen it to the fullest degree possible this afternoon.

He reached a hand behind her back and tugged on the wretched clasp of the bra until it gave free rather quickly, a talent he had acquired years ago that came in good use even though it had been some time since he had been able to use it. Hopefully he'd be able to practice more now on his wife, she really would benefit from it greatly.

Next came that ridiculously tiny scrap of lingerie that she wore and now that he knew she had such things that she wore daily it would be near impossible not to want to take them off of her after he'd of course after he got a good view of them on her.

She smiled after being freed from the vestiges of her clothing, an angelic vision before him with the temperament of the devil. How had he become so fortunate to be married to an intoxicating vixen like her?

His gaze devoured her taking in the sight of her lying naked in bed, obviously ready for him to do whatever he pleased with her. And please her he would as he whispered a single word of praise to her, "Lovely."

She longed to see him unclothed also, even though he made no move to rid himself of his jeans, ones that hugged his hips and did not conceal the undeniable bulge that was still hidden by the snug fitting denim.

He kissed her once more, his jeans abrading the sensitive flesh between her legs as she relished the vast contrast of her wetness making contact with the roughness of the material as it brushed against her. He pushed back against his knees before he lost it and came without ever entering her.

She held her breath expectantly, oh god he was going to go down on her and she prayed it would be good because it was such a hassle to ever get Lucas to even venture there and when he had it had been a such letdown.

She shouldn't have even worried about his EJ's technique as EJ finally cupped the back of her thighs, carefully holding her legs apart exposing her fully to him. "You are beautiful," he said before he slowly kissed up the length of her left thigh, and then he turned his attention to the other leg making sure to place tiny kisses along its length too. It wouldn't do for her to feel as if he paid more attention to one silken limb of her body over the other.

He had deliberately ignored her already pulsating center even though it beckoned him without her ever having to utter a single word. He could see her impatience growing and he smiled against her when he heard her sigh of relief when he softly blew a hot puff of air against her molten core. He inhaled her scent apparently enjoying her torment waiting for her to say something to him which she finally did, "Please EJ, please."

How many times had he longed to hear that phrase fall from her lips? More than he wanted to remember he thought as he kept just out of reach from her, leaning his head up to catch a glance from her before he bent down and barely flicked his tongue as his hands moved to cup her bottom, holding her in place so that she couldn't move away from what he was about to do to her.

Her legs lost their strength as she felt his tongue twist and turn in ways on her that she had never dreamed possible, she grabbed for the sheets on the bed, holding onto them for dear life, afraid if she pulled him closer that she would explode into a million pieces before he was done with her.

Her heat bloomed as he continued to taste her, god she was so sweet and juicy like a forbidden spicy fruit he was finally allowed to sample. She strained against him, her breath coming in short spurts as he kept teasing her, doing one thing then switching to another before she could come, slowing or increasing the tempo to keep her guessing as to what he would do next.

Her moans were growing louder when he pressed the pad of his thumb directly on her clit, making swirls of feeling grow when he applied more pressure to it, marveling at how swollen and slick she was as he enjoyed learning how her body responded to his touches. Sami let out a ragged sigh, and he pressed a little harder. Her hips started to jerk, "Oh god, I'm coming EJ! Oh EJ, please don't stop!"

EJ smiled, no intention of stopping, holding her into place, right where he wanted her to be, open to him, begging and screaming for more. He stayed with her as the waves of her next orgasm splashed over her and he felt her go limp underneath him.

He kissed her gently there, knowing that he'd be back to visit her there again, he had no doubt that she would welcome him again when the time was right, her sweet essence clinging to him as he reached to release the button of his jeans. He was so hard right now he didn't know how long he would last when he actually got to be inside here, but he was sure going to find out.

"Two down sweetheart, are you ready for round three?"

She smiled and just nodded yes, too wiped out by their latest encounter to speak at the moment, as she thought being married to EJ was going to be way more fun then she had ever anticipated.

_Give Me the Remote! __**  
><strong>__Chapter 24_

She came back around from the place she had zoned out to when she heard the sound of his zipper coming down. He was thick, rock hard and ready for her which was of no surprise, she was dripping with desire for him even after those two oh-my-god-I'm-coming climaxes he had wrung out of her with barely any extended effort on his part.

He was built like an Adonis, there was no doubt about it, she thought delightfully to herself thinking it wouldn't be much longer and she'd be impaled to the hilt by him. He summoned a need in her that she didn't even fully realize until she had agreed to let him be a real husband to her in every sense of the word.

EJ was taking his role of husband very seriously and she was the lucky recipient of his undivided attention. She felt like she'd just won the lottery, had her birthday and Christmas rolled all into one when she had been tingling from her head to the very tip of her toes and the man hadn't even gotten to the main event yet.

His jeans were shed a thing of the past and he still made no conscious move toward her, instead he teased her, brushing their lips together lightly, and then drawing back before they could deepen the brief contact. He repeated the process, again and again, until Sami was beyond frustration, she wanted him now and he kept her just beyond the realm of what she yearned for as she made an attempt to capture his mouth with hers. He shifted away again, being elusive to her once more and sprinkled kisses along her forehead, cheeks and jaw, ones so fleeting they could be mistaken for the fluttering of butterfly wings.

"EJ, why are you torturing me so?" She found the courage to ask when he kept up this maddening slow process he was giving to her.

"Darling, your body is like a precious work of art, I can't rush or I'll miss something. I want to remember this first time of making love with you as man and wife for the rest of my life," he told her honestly, the emotion plainly etched on his face as he studied her. His sudden nervousness apparent as he revealed another layer of himself to her, somehow he managed to constantly surprise her.

"You really are a hopeless romantic," she noted, remembering the day they danced together in the old abandoned house.

"I really thought those emotions had died in me a while back, but being here with you, hearing you say that you loved me and would marry me all over again makes me believe in the impossible, that we really could overcome all the odds and truly be together forever."

"I do love you," she said in a whisper to him and the genuine smile he gave her in return melted any remaining doubt she may have had in her mind concerning giving herself completely to him, heart, mind, body and soul.

"You'll always be a part of me," he said and this time when their lips met, he deepened the kiss, his tongue sweeping against her mouth in sweet exploration. Then he began kissing the back of her neck and ever so temptingly grinding against her, not penetrating her just rubbing his hardened cock up and down, touching her clit and coming close to where she wanted him to be, but not quite.

"EJ I want you inside of me now!" She was tired of waiting, it was time, and she had never wanted anything or anyone this badly before. She entwined her arms around his neck, tasting of him greedily as he crushed her against his chest, his last restraints of control evaporating as he felt her caress him. Then she changed gears and reached lower, finally exploring his body as she had longed to do.

"If you keep touching me there, I won't last long," he admitted as he tried his best to disentangle her hand away from him.

"You've held out longer than I thought you would, please EJ, I need you," she pleaded as she opened up wider to accept him into her body.

"I need you too, so much," he said, giving up the fight to prolong this moment between them as he thrust himself inside her, thankful that she was wet because even so she was tight, a hot heat that completely surrounded him making him forget everything except having her in his arms while he made love to her.

Somehow he knew just what to do, how to speed up or slow down, angling his hips to delve even deeper into her, making her toes curl when he found her G-spot. He brought her to the brink several times, not letting her fall over until he looked her in the eyes and their gazes locked with one another. Pure passion collided with a recognition of something deeper, it was a melding of their souls and she let herself go over the edge, taking him with her as he whispered in her ear that she was the only one for him, there would never be another in his heart save her as they were both lost in a cataclysm of feelings and emotions that would bind them together forever.

She lay happily in his arms, her husband apparently liked to cuddle after making love, something she thought was rare and it made her glad that he didn't immediately fall asleep after their coupling was over. They hadn't said a word, both just content to be with one another in the now quiet bedroom, one they would now share with one another until it was time to leave the cabin.

Sami felt him press a kiss on the top of her head and her smile grew when she heard him say, "So you want to try for four or not?"

She leaned up to look at him, a gleam of mischief in his eyes sparkling as she quickly replied, "Four sounds like it would be nice."

_Give Me the Remote!__**  
><strong>__Chapter 25_

She kissed him over and over again, relishing the fact that she didn't have to stop kissing that sensual mouth of his, one which had brought her to such heights of ecstasy this afternoon. She never would have predicted in her wildest dreams EJ would be such a generous lover, the men she had known before took what they wanted and many times she had been left lacking fulfillment, but not with him. He had made sure she had been thoroughly satisfied before he even gave a thought to his own satisfaction.

Once again she made a mental note to herself that she was going to listen to her heart in concerns to this man, she had been missing out on so much by refusing to give in to him, but she smiled knowing that in the future things would be different. It really was going to be interesting learning all about him, especially when she thought she knew him so well. Just this afternoon had taught her many new things, and it was like starting a new and fascinating journey.

He still wasn't finished with her, wanting more and that thrilled her as she kissed him down his chest and then settled on top of him, she was going to set the pace with him this time as she slowly began to impale herself upon him.

He snaked his hands up her ribcage as she started to move and loved hearing her breathy moans when both hands cupped her breasts, molding them as she slid up and down on his shaft.

"Sweetheart, you are exquisite," EJ praised her as she kept on going, the friction was building as he helped guide her removing his hands from her breasts and grasping her around her tiny waist. 

"You're not so bad yourself," Sami managed to say as she started to sway her hips, grinding down more each time as she reached the bottom only to have him help pull her back up. 

"Thank you," EJ replied feeling as if he was in heaven, to have Samantha on top of him, the want on her face for him evident as she was surprising him with ever changing rhythms and movements. 

It felt so good and they were both on their way to another pinnacle of delight when they heard it, the unmistakable cry of one of the babies. Instantly Sami stilled as they both looked at one another.

"I think you are going to have to get this one, seeing as how you are on top of things," EJ tried to joke although it was killing him knowing that they would have to continue this episode of lovemaking for another time.

Sami closed her eyes, hoping the cries would stop, but she wasn't going to get that lucky, then again she couldn't complain about being lucky with all the wonderful things that had happened already this afternoon between them. Reluctantly she removed herself from him, "I'm sorry."

"Goes along with the territory of being a parent," EJ replied trying to sit up as Sami hastily went to the chair where he had laid his folded top and pulled her arms through the long sleeves, folding them quickly up.

"Thank you for understanding," Sami said her heart melting even more for him when she realized EJ wasn't going to get angry that the babies had put a quick stop to their latest romantic interlude.

"They are my babies too. Their needs come first; I'll manage to survive having to cut short our time together" 

"You are a good man," came the surprising compliment from her. She wasn't one to dole out such sentiments to him and to hear her say that made him want to hug her close to him and never let her leave his arms.

"Thank you," EJ said quietly. "I want to be your man, the one you turn to always."

"You are," she said as she stood in the doorway just a moment longer staring at him with love in her eyes, now she could be able to express her love to him in so many ways. It was so nice not to hide her feelings from him. Then she left to go to the twin's bedroom.

He leaned back placing an arm over his eyes, willing himself to think other thoughts other than having his wife on top of him, forcing the image from his mind. He knew they would have more time together although he was starved for her love; this brief taste only whetted his appetite wanting more from her. She was right he was greedy, at least for her, but it was more than just the physical sense of wanting her. He wanted her in all aspects and now it looked like he was going to have this with her, or at least he hoped nothing would take this from him, he wasn't accustomed to having life be this sweet for him and he couldn't completely trust this latest turn of events. Somehow fate always seemed to come back and bite him in the arse when he least expected it.

Knowing he needed to get dressed, he reluctantly got up to find his boxers, pulling them on and was about to go help her with Johnny and Allie when she returned with both of them in her arms.

"I think they wanted to spend some time with us," Sami announced as she placed them on the bed, and then sat down herself, motioning for EJ to do the same.

He smiled as he settled down on the other side of the bed, their babies between them. It was surreal, here they were all together, Samantha and he had consummated their marriage, and for the first time in his life he could honestly say that he was truly happy.

She looked back at him, contemplating the scene before them, their children with them and now for the first time she could tell him the words he had spoken to her long ago of as a wish he had for them in his imaginings of their future together. She carefully took his hand in hers and looked him in the eyes, her voice soft and sincere, "EJ, no part of me regrets loving you." 

He had to shut his eyes to keep the tears from falling that he felt rise up with that one sentence she had spoken to him. They had come so far from that day, he couldn't believe she had remembered his wish for their future and now he knew he loved her even more than he thought possible. He brought her hands to his lips, placing a kiss upon it, "Really Samantha? Please don't toy with me, I can't take it if you don't really mean it."

"I mean it will all my heart," she nodded, giving him an encouraging smile as she brought her hand along with his back to her heart. "You are my husband in every sense of the word."

"I like the sound of that," EJ said as the babies started to pull at both of them, trying to capture their attention away from one another. "What do you think little ones, are you happy your mum and dad love one another?"

"I know I am," Sami said as she released his hands and gave each of the babies a kiss.

"Me too," EJ said softly, as they began to play with Johnny and Allie delighted in hearing their playful sounds as they started the rest of their afternoon together as a family.

_**Give Me the Remote!  
>Chapter 26<strong>_

It was late in the evening when the twins finally succumbed to sleep; Sami and EJ were both occupied with the little bundles of energy, amazed at how quickly they were changing along with their very distinct personalities emerging. 

Sami watched EJ kiss them both goodnights, once again marveling how much at ease he seemed to be caring for them. He really did love them, there was no doubt about it and now she was as securely wrapped in his love as the twins were. His total demeanor this afternoon around her was so open; he gazed at her with such pure adoration which was something she had never expected to happen.

She walked over to the window and looked out at the night sky and smiled when he came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and placing a kiss upon the top of her head. "Thank you," was all he said as he stood behind her.

"For what?"

"Making this the best day of my life," he said softly as she leaned back against him.

"The day isn't over," she teased as she felt him tighten his grip slightly around her.

"Yes, we do have tonight," EJ agreed holding on to her as they looked at the landscape outside.

"EJ look it is starting to snow," Sami noted with a childlike wonderment in her tone.

"It is, I wonder if it will stick," EJ peered out barely able to make out the movement of the flakes in the sky.

"Of course it will and we can sit by the fire and enjoy the weather," Sami said thinking how nice it would be to curl up next to him in front of a blazing fire.

"How about we get in the hot tub?" He asked as he led her out of the twin's bedroom and down the stairs, taking a kiss from her as they walked down each stair together. 

"EJ I didn't bring my bathing suit," Sami said with a sigh, it would have been fun to relax in the water while it snowed, but she hadn't thought she would have needed a bathing suit during this time of year.

"Who says we need bathing suits?" EJ asked with an upraised brow as they reached the bottom step. 

"I hate to remind you of this minor detail, but honey we aren't alone up here," Sami said shaking her head at his idea.

"I'm your honey now?" He asked, liking the name upon her lips for him, god knew it was so much nicer than things she had called him in the past.

"Among other things," she leaned up on her tip toes to give him another kiss.

"The twins are out for the night," EJ assured her. "We played with them so much there is no way they are waking up anytime soon."

"I'm not talking about the twins," Sami said hating to bring up the fact that they were being watched 24/7 since they were in protective custody. "Have you forgotten this place is being watched like a hawk?"

"It will be dark, they won't be able to see us," EJ cajoled, wanting her to take a walk on the wild side with him, besides he doubted the guards ever got into close proximity of the cabin unless they were alerted to do so since they were posted on the outside perimeters of the property.

"EJ is it barely dark outside," Sami said disagreeing with him, there was no way she was going to strip down naked and have those guards ogling them it just wasn't going to happen. "I can just imagine the shock Uncle Abe would have if he knew we were cavorting naked outside the cabin."

"I don't think he will tell Lexie, then again I could call her if you really want people to know that we did the deed."

"You will not!" Sami punched him in the arm.

"You don't want anyone to know that we are really and truly married?"

"I just don't want my daddy hearing that his daughter is romping it up at the safe house."

"Romping it up, is this a new kinky move I don't know about yet? Will you show it to me? It sounds like it might be fun."

"EJ, I'm serious! Daddy will have a coronary if he…"

"Knows you're really and truly happy for a change? Come on Samantha; please tell me when we leave here we are going to go public with our relationship. Sorry I can't be your sex slave one moment and then just the guy you married to end the vendetta between the Brady's and the DiMera's the next moment." 

"You'll really be my sex slave? Now that sounds interesting," Sami started to picture the idea in her head and she really liked what she was envisioning so far. 

"Only if you are willing to tell your family the truth," EJ warned her.

"EJ, of course I'm going to tell them," Sami said putting all kidding aside. "They are going to know it as soon as we see them again anyway."

"How do you figure that?"

"One look from you to me is all that it will take, seriously EJ you don't think you'll be able to hide your feelings for me when it is finally safe for us to go back home again. They'll see it as soon as we get around them."

"What will they see Samantha?" He asked wanting to know exactly what she was thinking about this new stage in their relationship with one another. Most of her family wouldn't be ecstatic hearing about them being in love.

"They will see we belong together, that we make each other happy," Sami smiled, giving him another kiss hoping it would satisfy his curiosity for now, but he wasn't going to get her to go outside in the hot tub naked.

"Know what will make me happy? You agree to get into the hot tub with me. I'll get the bottle of champagne I found," EJ said trying his best to tempt her. "Plus it will help my back and those muscles we worked out together today."

"I knew your back was hurting you," Sami narrowed her eyes at him.

"You made it feel much better today," EJ said going to the place where he had stashed the bottle of champagne after finding it a few days ago and held the bottle up in the air for her to see. "Darling we have to celebrate today, it's like we are on our honeymoon."

"Honeymoon with twins? You are reaching for anything plausible to get me naked again aren't you?"

"Yes, I am" he turned the bottle around reading the name of the champagne out loud to her. "And furthermore, the twins are fun, but when we renew our vows I promise to take you anywhere in the world and we will get a nanny to stay with them during the night and on those occasions we might be feeling a bit amorous."

"You are dreaming big. On what funds are we going to use on this trip? Remember Stefano froze all of your accounts when you turned him in to the authorities."

"We DiMera's always bounce back on our feet. And you my darling are now a fully fledged DiMera; anything is possible if we put our minds to it."

"Are we going to start robbing banks?"

"No, that is criminal darling."

She rolled her eyes at him, "In case you've forgotten your family is a tad bit on the shady side."

"I never indulged in that part of the family business."

"Please you are talking to the biggest liar in town," she deadpanned.

"You're not lying about your feelings for me are you?"

"No, but EJ you did some less than noble things in your past," Sami reminded him. 

"Pot calling the kettle black eh?"

"So we're both devious at times," Sami stated with a wicked smile.

"We could open up one of those adult novelty shops," EJ started to chuckle. "I have no doubt that your family would flock to it in droves."

"Shut up! You are so bad," Sami moved closer to him, looking the bottle of champagne he had in his hand over, weighing out her options.

"I know that is one of the reasons why you love me," EJ pushed her back against the wall, placing the bottle of champagne beside them on the floor.

"One reason for sure, but I was wondering if we could role-play the sex slave thing you mentioned earlier to me out? You know that kind of gets my motor running," Sami ran her hands up his shirt, feeling the muscles in his chest as she licked her lips.

"Only if you get naked with me in the hot tub," EJ whispered in her ear, causing her to laugh out loud. "No one is going to see us, come on Samantha. You know you want to do it. Where is your sense of adventure?"

"I am holding you to the sex slave thing," Sami said as she started to get undressed in front of him. 

"Deal," EJ agreed as he started to undress too, smiling as he thought of the things they could do together in the hot tub.

_Give Me the Remote!__**  
><strong>__Chapter 27_

_Author's note: Switching pace for just a moment to get you all on board with what is going on with Stefano and Lucas. Hope this chapter doesn't confuse anyone; it is a necessary one to move the story forward._

__

_Don't worry, I'm not skipping the hot tub scenes, they will be in the next chapter._

_Earlier that day__**  
><strong>__Salem Police Department_

Lucas was amazed over how quickly things changed for him after he agreed to help Stefano kidnap Johnny, or Gianni, as Stefano seemed wont to refer to when talking about his grandson. He knew Stefano had power, but never had begun to imagine how far reaching his connections were until today.

It had started out as every other day in the cell block, awakening to the stifling presence of being held prisoner behind those dark iron steel bars, ones Lucas had grown to despise during his tenure in jail, knowing that an even more depressing atmosphere of prison was daunting to him, he didn't want to have to serve time for something he had felt justified in doing, shooting that son of a bitch EJ DiMera. He only wished his aim had been better, even if in killing him he would be sent away for possibly the rest of his life. The world would be a much better place without that slimy bastard.

Now as he thought about it, his life had never been the same since EJ had come to Salem. Certainly Sami had been captivated by him from the moment they had meet, Lucas hated to admit the fact, but it was true. Why he had even commented to Austin there was some serious chemistry between Sami and EJ, wanting to get a stab in on his brother's so called happiness he was sharing with Sami at the time while Lucas was with Carrie.

Now his brother was off in Switzerland, married to Carrie and taking care of Will. It just wasn't fair; Austin always was the golden boy in their family, getting the love and attention of all the women in Lucas' life. What did Austin have that he didn't? Well it wouldn't be good to waste time pondering over Austin's attributes; one thing Lucas knew for sure was that Sami loved him, not his brother. At least she had finally seen the light that Austin was not the man for her, he was.

He missed Sami with a fierceness which almost crippled him at times. He hated they had fought on her last visit at the jail, but somehow he would make it up to her. The only thing puzzling him was that Stefano had said she and EJ were together, and he knew that had to be lie, maybe Stefano had doctored up the pictures he had shown him. There was no way Sami would ever be with EJ, she loved him, she had to or that made everything he had done to save her from a life with that monster EJ all for nothing.

Stefano awoke, stirring around and Lucas reverted his thoughts to the enigmatic man who shared his jail cell, now thinking somehow he bet even Stefano had pulled the necessary strings for them to wind up together as cellmates. Even incarcerated, the man had a dignified stance in his carriage of himself, the superiority in his manner had not diminished one bit. It certainly mystified Lucas and made him want to learn more about this hated enemy of the Brady clan.

He hated he had agreed to kidnap Johnny away from Sami, but if his actions would hurt EJ, he was all for it. Why even his father was out to get him, for certainly no loving father would want to see harm come upon his own son. He would make sure Sami never knew the truth, he would have to come up with some plausible explanation of why he was out of jail, but he was sure he could convince her to run away with him. 

Yes, Sami, Allie and he would run away and be a family, then in time he would be able to contact Will and then they could all reunite. Johnny was not a part of them, he was a DiMera and Stefano would raise him. In time Sami would see it was all for the best, they would be free of all things DiMera and they could start their life over anew.

He couldn't wait to see her, he would be there to comfort her and somehow turn it all around on EJ. That would be perfect, Sami would believe EJ was somehow behind the kidnapping, he was sure Stefano could manufacture evidence to prove it was EJ instead of him and that would make Sami hate EJ until the day she died. Lucas started to smile; EJ was going to pay big time for trying to take his wife along with his life away from him.

"Lucas, quit daydreaming, we have much work to do," Stefano's voice brought him out of his reverie and he turned his attention back to him as Stefano started telling him more details of the plan to kidnap his grandson away from Sami and EJ.

Lucas marveled over how meticulous Stefano was, going over even the most minor details to Lucas time and time again, making sure he understood exactly what was needed of him to do when the time came. Lucas was almost dazed when in a few hours; suddenly he and Stefano were being quickly ushered out by a guard into a series of underground tunnels that Lucas had never heard of existing.

It took a while, but suddenly they were free, coming out in a part of town that Lucas was unfamiliar with, a vastly wooded area, but one Stefano seemed to know quite well. Trying not to ask more questions that necessary since he didn't want to anger Stefano, Lucas kept quiet and followed the older man's lead as they went to a waiting car.

As they drove away from the city limit signs of Salem, Lucas knew he was ready for Stefano's assignment, as each mile passed he was one step closer to reuniting his family and destroying EJ DiMera all at the same time.

_Give Me the Remote!__**  
><strong>__Chapter 28_

"Are you going to get us glasses to drink out of or do you want me to round up some?" Sami asked after EJ returned inside. He had went out and turned on the hot tub controls, making sure the water would be warm enough for them when they got in it. The air was brisk outside, the new fallen snow making the temperature seem even colder as the night grew on.

"I'll get them," EJ answered, his heart starting to amp up a few notches just thinking of having this incredible vixen in the hot tub with him. Samantha surpassed any fantasies he had conjured up of her over the past year, and there had been so many of them in plentiful supply while she had refused his advances, but now incredibly she was willing and open to try new things with him. He planned to make this night spectacular for her, this was their special day. He still had a difficult time wrapping his mind around the fact that she did love him. He could only imagine what a life they would be able to share.

"Thank you," she replied, trying not to act like standing naked in the kitchen with him was something out of the ordinary. She shifted from one foot to the other, crossing her arms in front of her breasts as she began to blush, the color blossoming on her face.

"Darling, you are perfect, please don't be shy around me," EJ urged sensing Sami's slight discomfort over being so exposed to his hungry gaze.

"EJ, I've never considered myself to be anywhere near perfect," She shrugged her shoulders as her face showed her disbelief in his statement to her.

"You are perfection defined," EJ uncrossed her arms and brought her hands up around his neck instead, placing a kiss on her nose when she looked up at him.

"How do you do it?" she shook her head, searching his dark eyes as if in seeing into them it would reveal the information she was looking for from him.

"How do I do what?"

"Make me feel like I'm the only woman in the world," Sami said quietly, she still wasn't used to this type of treatment from any man, much less than from a man she had repeatedly tried to spurn over the past year. Somehow he had never given up on her despite of all the things she had tried to do to convince him that she didn't care for him.

"You are the only woman in the world for me," EJ moved to kiss her mouth until Sami pulled back away from him.

"You really mean that?" Sami asked unsure of how confident EJ could be of his feelings for her when she was just starting to realize the immensity of her emotions for him were turning out the more time that she spent with him.

"Yes, no one compares to you," EJ didn't let her slip past a kiss from him this time, capturing her mouth with his as he slowly walked her backwards to the French doors that led out to the patio that held the hot tub.

She felt herself backed up against the glass doors, the coldness in the panes a very distinct contrast with the heat that was generating off from EJ. He pressed her up against the doors, lifting her up slightly from the floor as he parted her legs.

Sami felt a thrill suddenly running through her veins, she was just on the very brink of discovering her husband's sexuality and it excited her to see what he would come up with next as she felt the cold from the doors seeping into her back while EJ was making her front feel like it was on fire. She squirmed against him, trying to escape the cold, but he kept her in place as he widened her stance even more to give him better access to her.

Sami tried to form coherent thoughts, but he was rapidly making that impossible, "EJ, I thought we were going to the hot tub."

"Later," he said, kissing her again, this time his kisses were hot and hungry, as if he were trying to imprint himself firmly in her mind for all time, and she had to agree he was doing a pretty good job of it as she felt herself become drenched in renewed desire for him.

She tugged at his hair, wanting him to kiss her even harder as she felt him right outside of her, he was driving her mad once again and he hadn't even entered her and then thankfully he plunged himself inside of her as she accepted all of him, his length filling her with a fullness she was coming to appreciate immensely. She thought the man was seriously talented as his movements kept her from touching the floor, each time she thought she was close to coming down, he would thrust up, making her feel his penetration at a different angle each time.

She could feel that she was so close to orgasm, as she managed to tell him in between her gasps for air, "More EJ, I want more."

She really was his soul mate, EJ thought to himself as he began to pump harder into her than before, her back rubbing up and down against the coldness of the door as their bodies were burning up for one another.

He thought he would pass out when he felt her scream his name, begging him for even more as her orgasm finally hit her, the muscles in her vagina gripping him hard as he felt himself erupt within her. He held her up still feeling her gradually come down from the intense high they had wrung out from one another. Finally he let her down; her feet finally touching the floor again as he carefully separated them from each other.

"Oh damn, if this is just a preview I can't wait to see what you will come up with when we finally get to go on our honeymoon," Sami leaned up against him, her back slippery from the condensation of the door.

"I have lots of good things planned for you," he said, giving her a wink as he picked her up into his arms, opening the door to go outside to the hot tub.

_Give Me the Remote! _

_****__Chapter 29_

"EJ, put me down, you are going to drop me," Sami hit him playfully on the shoulder, but he wouldn't set her down until he brought her to the edge of the hot tub.

"I'll be right back, I seemed to have gotten a bit sidetracked on our way out here," EJ grinned at her as he picked her up under her arms and placed her in the hot tub.

Sami eyed him knowingly, giving him an impish smile, "I sure hope you get sidetracked more often."

"I intend to my dear," EJ went back into the cabin to get the bottle of champagne along with two glasses. He walked with a swagger in his step and Sami loved it thinking she was the one who helped him get that back. He returned with the bottle, popping the cork and laughing out loud when the liquid spewed out of its container. He poured them both a glass, handing them both to Sami as he entered the hot tub.

She accepted the glasses, holding them both above the water admiring EJ's physique in the process. Her husband was built like a sculptured piece of art and she was all for appreciating the arts. Then the thought hit her, she was now thinking of EJ as her husband, they had been married for months and all she had considered this marriage was a duty, one she had chosen to save her family, but now as she saw him moving closer to her, with a smile on his face only for her she knew he was saving her instead.

This was the life she wanted, with a man who wasn't afraid to go after what he wanted, even if he faced enormous obstacles along the way, which she now saw his unwavering love and devotion to her. It was a heady feeling and a totally new experience for her. This man didn't want to change her; he wanted her as she was flaws and all.

"What are you thinking?" EJ asked, noting the serious expression upon her face as he moved over beside her, placing his glass to the side of the hot tub and taking his fingers to caress the side of her face, the gesture so loving in nature that it took her breath away.

She decided to play coy with him though, she couldn't reveal to him how quickly she had fallen under his spell. The thought made her suddenly laugh because she knew EJ would strongly disagree with her, he had been waiting patiently for her to see what he had seen all along, and that was they belonged together.

"A girl must have her secrets," she said seductively as she tipped up her glass of champagne to her mouth, drinking the contents of the bubbly liquid and setting her glass alongside his unfinished one.

"And you have so many delicious secrets that I want to uncover," EJ took back his glass of champagne and instead of drinking it, took the contents and poured them over her chest, making instant goose bumps arise upon her flesh as he started to lap the residue from her breasts.

She pulled his head closer; her fingers entrenched in his dark hair, loving the coarse texture of how it felt when she held him close to her. Oh god it was heavenly, the tugs of his sinful mouth causing her to gasp as he went from one breast to the other, biting ever so slightly on her turgid nipples which seemed to swell up even more under his tutelage.

She maneuvered in the swirling hot water until she was able to wrap her legs tightly around his waist, desperately trying to connect with him while he continued to bite and lick her breasts. She tugged hard on his hair, breaking the contact on her and forcing his mouth to meet hers in a hungry kiss as she triumphantly felt him enter her in one swift motion.

He broke the kiss to lock eyes with her, sheathed inside her slick wet heat, but not moving yet or allowing her to move either for that matter. His face unreadable as she studied him, wanting him to claim her once more as he had done only minutes earlier in the kitchen, taking her shamelessly up against the French doors of the cabin. He was bringing out more sides of her sexuality that she had never allowed to emerge, her wantonness just on the verge of taking control of her heightened senses.

"EJ, please," she began to beg, no longer afraid to ask him for what she wanted, no needed from him.

"Please what?" he teased, still not moving inside her although he wanted her to ride him hard as she so wanted to do earlier this afternoon before they had been interrupted by the babies crying, that would come later, and he knew he would enjoy each and every minute she was on top of him, now he was loving the struggle of her trying to lock her legs around his waist tighter, anything to provide some friction between them so that she could find her release.

"EJ, if you don't stop this teasing, I'm going to scream," she said the fire starting to blaze in her eyes as he continued to hold her in place, her back up against the wall of the hot tub, the jets of streaming hot water only adding to the sensations of the coldness of the air that hit their exposed body parts that didn't dip below the water level.

"What will you scream darling?" he leaned in and whispered in her ear, his breath tickling and she curved her head in towards the sound of his devilish voice.

"For you to fuck me!" she demanded, suddenly finding the strength to move hard against him, her clit rubbing erotically against him while she leaned in to bite him in the crease between his neck and shoulder.

He wanted to give her a witty reply, but couldn't find the words as he felt a white hot bolt of pleasure starting to build inside of him as he started to comply with her wishes, both thrusting and reaching for the other. He was afraid that he would hurt her, but she encouraged him to keep going as she clasped at him, the water of the hot tub giving them a slippery buoyancy to their movements, both enjoying the unique freedom of movement the water allowed.

She was driving him to distraction, her lithe body demanding more for him each time his cock stroked her deep inside. He knew it would be good between them, just never imagined how good it would be when she finally let go of her inhibitions and let him in.

Their movements grew increasingly feverish, the sensations all around them on overload as she started to buck her body even harder against him, her climax burgeoning on the horizon. He could feel her begin to contract and lost the battle to hold back until she had come when she breathlessly said, "I love you!"

He erupted, spilling his seed into her although he continued to stay inside her wet warmth as she cried out, whimpering wordlessly as their breathing tried to return to normal, both amazed at the intensity of this latest encounter with one another.

"I love you too, my sweet decadent angel," EJ looked at her with a reverence that made her want to weep with joy, she was truly where she needed to be, with a man that understood her wants and needs and wasn't shocked by her sexual aggressiveness, he seemed to welcome it and encourage her to go even further in seeking out her pleasure.

Both so lost in the other, enjoying this newfound closeness of their deepening relationship, that they had no clue that they were being spied upon by not only Stefano's hired man who was working for him under the guise of being one of their bodyguards, but now also Lucas.

Stefano had dropped him off discreetly at a meeting point in the woods to the man Lucas was now working with, Stefano's plan to take his grandson already in the first stages of the mission as Lucas and Reagan Michaels now sat in the back of a van that looked like something the FBI would have in its possession, multiple screens showing all rooms of the cabin along with the outside of it, which was now burning into Lucas eyes. He couldn't believe it, but it was all there in living color, not to mention sound. He had seen it all, Sami naked and begging EJ to fuck her. That goddamn bitch had lied to him, played him for a fool. Why he bet she had been fucking EJ all along behind his back, claiming to love him while she was EJ's whore.

His eyes narrowed angrily, he had refused to believe Stefano until he had saw the proof of it with his own two eyes, much less his revulsion in actually hearing the two of them. His wife, no make that his ex-wife was sleeping and apparently had been sleeping with the enemy for god knew how long. He had went to jail and was about to be shipped off to prison for that cheating bitch.

Lucas felt a fury arise in him that he didn't know exist. He would make them both pay, now it was even more personal because Sami had betrayed in him the worst way possible and he would make her regret the day she had ever double crossed him.

"Quite the exhibitionists, aren't they?" Reagan asked Lucas as he continued to monitor the screen closely.

"Not for long," was all Lucas could muster up to say, the bile growing in his throat as he excused himself and opened the door of the van. He didn't want his partner to see him throw up, seeing EJ and Sami like that together both made him sick to his stomach. He was going to make them both sorry for messing with him, they would both regret it soon enough. He would make them beg and plead for mercy, but they would not get it from him because Lucas realized they both deserved what Stefano wanted to do to them.

Suddenly he realized that working for Stefano DiMera had it own merits after all because he was going to get revenge on them both.

_Give Me the Remote!__**  
><strong>__Chapter 30_

"I have a new level of appreciation for the hot tub that I never thought was possible," Sami purred, leaning her head back against the edge of it, sinking deeper into the water after EJ disentangled their sated bodies from one another. 

"I do too," EJ chuckled, feeling a euphoria residing in his being he had not believed he would ever feel. 

"So are we going to stay out here until our skin shrivels up like prunes or do we take this back inside Mr. DiMera?"

"Which would you prefer Mrs. DiMera?" EJ was drawn back to her instantly; she was intoxicating to him as he nuzzled her neck, causing her arch forward bringing her wet breasts out of the water. 

"Hmmm, if you keep doing that I won't be able to think at all," she murmured. 

"I'm never going to be able to get enough of you," EJ said, licking the droplets of water from her exposed skin.

"Good, because I feel the same way," Sami stated bringing him back to her mouth for a kiss, thinking all the while tonight would be the first night they slept together in the same bed and the prospect of waking up next to him in the morning was something she definitely wanted to experience.

"Take me to bed," she said, looking deep into his eyes as she recalled asking him to do so last night when they had played EJ's version of drunken Scrabble.

She was sober and still wanted him, which was good EJ thought getting out of the hot tub and extending his hand to help her exit too. She once again marveled over how attentive and attuned to her feelings he was as they quickly walked on the patio and he opened the door for her.

"Thank you," she said going into the kitchen area searching for the pile of her discarded clothes. 

"For what?" EJ asked wondering what she was thanking him for since she didn't do it very often.

"For just being you, I mean you do nice things for me all the time and I rarely ever thank you for it," Sami said feeling bad for all the times she had dismissed him and his feelings as if he were of no consequence to her at all.

"I do nice things for you because I want to, not because I have to," EJ went to the bathroom to get them some towels to dry off with since they were both chilly after stepping out from the hot tub into the night air. He wrapped a towel around her, gently drying her off before he did the same with his towel.

Sami secured the towel around her form although EJ did not after he had finished drying off. "Are you always going to walk around naked?"

"I might at least when the kids are asleep," he added leaning against the doorframe.

"What if someone comes over?" Sami asked, thinking her husband would probably not get embarrassed even if someone showed up unannounced and he waltzed into a room completely naked.

"Does this mean when we get back to Salem we will be living in the same place?" EJ asked wondering what her answer would be since she had made claims time and time again that they would keep their separate apartments.

"Maybe we can both find jobs and get a place of our own, start over from scratch together," Sami suggested not wanting the memories of either apartment to darken what she hoped was a new beginning for them, it was almost as if they had just gotten married, she felt like a new bride being treasured by her husband. They never really had experienced much of what newlyweds faced since they had taken their wedding vows.

"That sounds nice, we'll find our own place, somewhere the kids can play outside when they get older," EJ said responding to the dreamy look upon Samantha's face as she tentatively spoke of their future together. "Let's go to bed, I'm really looking forward to sleeping in there with you."

"Just sleeping?" she asked with a mischievous arch of her brow.

"Well maybe sleeping later on," EJ replied holding out his hand for her to take as they climbed the stairs together heading toward their room after taking a peek into the twin's room, noting they were sound asleep, both wrapped up together in a tangle of blankets.

EJ smiled as he settled onto the bed, beckoning Sami to follow suit and climb in with him which she did, snuggling up next to him as he stroked her back. 

"I like this," Sami said as EJ continued to rub her back.

"I do too, it sure beats the couch," EJ remarked as Sami looked him in the eye.

"You didn't just seduce me to sleep in the bed did you?" Sami asked him teasingly.

"Darling, while I am extremely grateful to be partaking in this comfortable bed with you instead of that torture rack called a couch, I would sleep on a bed of nails if you were there to join me. Although I think the seducer was you my dear," EJ gave her a knowing look while she pushed up on her arms trying to move away from him. "I mean you were the one with the whole massage thing going on. I mean what could I do? You had me hot and bothered before you ever even suggested working your magic on me, after that I was mere putty in your marvelous and may I add very talented hands."

"Are you still hot and bothered?" she asked looking at one very specific part of his anatomy for an answer to her question.

"For you always," he smiled pulling her back into his arms, kissing her and it was quite a while before they succumbed to sleep.

They were both exhausted and never heard the back door to the cabin open as Lucas cautiously made his way inside.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Give Me the Remote!  
>Chapter 31<strong>_

He made his way cautiously up the stairs, the layout of the cabin ingrained into his memory. Stefano had made sure Lucas knew every part of the cabin and questioned him endlessly on their way to the safe house location after their escape from the jail. Stefano had been adamant time was of the essence if their plan to kidnap Johnny was to go off without a hitch. It would only be a matter of time before the authorities figured out they had escaped and Sami and EJ would be notified.

Thus it had to be tonight, Lucas and Reagan had already knocked out the other man on patrol beating him to a bloody pulp when he realized that Reagan was not who he had pretended to be in protecting this family. Before the man could signal for backup, he was beaten to within an inch of his life.

It didn't bother Lucas that the man was hurt; hell he was hurt over Sami's betrayal. His mind wouldn't let go seeing her let EJ have his way with her, she'd even begged him for more. Lucas was furious with her for making him believe she had ever changed her ways. His mother had been right all along, Sami was nothing but a lying tramp. But this time, she would get what she deserved for her lies and schemes, he and Stefano would see to it personally.

He finally made his way up the stairs praying that the steps wouldn't creak as he made his way up them to the twin's bedroom, his heart beating an erratic beat as the sweat started to form on his brow. He had to get Johnny for Stefano, if for nothing else to tear out the heart of that sick bastard EJ. The man was going to pay for stealing away his wife, his very life from him. Lucas had a hatred for EJ that had only grown more exponentially with each and every day spent in jail. 

Yes, the hate kept him going even though he knew if he were caught by either Sami or EJ it would be bad, but he had ways of keeping things in his favor instead of theirs as he patted the loaded gun he had secured in the waistband of his jeans. He would have no qualms of using it and if he had any luck EJ would be dead, he wouldn't miss making his shot count if the opportunity arose again.

There it was, the twin's bedroom, Lucas thought triumphantly as he inched his way into their room, being careful not to move too quickly and wake up the sleeping infants. After what felt like hours to him, he was beside their crib, he longed to scoop Allie up in his arms, he had missed seeing his daughter, but that would have to wait, right now he had to take Johnny to his grandfather.

He gingerly reached into the crib, trying not to wake them for if he did, his plan would be shot to hell and he was not going to face Stefano DiMera empty handed. Stefano had told him he would be richly rewarded for his services; all he had to do was deliver Johnny safely to him.

They were sleeping soundly, wrapped up together in dreamland and it took a few minutes for Lucas to move Johnny away from his sister. Lucas' hands shook when Johnny let out a small whimper, but then he had him in his possession and was ready to head out of their room. He only prayed Allie would not miss her brother until it was too late and he was already gone with him.

Johnny had grown, Lucas noted as he held him close to him thinking once again this baby should have been his also, just another one of life's injustices that kept piling up against him. Thinking those thoughts he almost missed a step on the stairs then righted them both before they took a tumble. Johnny seemed to be slowly trying to awaken and Lucas had to haul ass out of there before he was caught.

Trying not to make any unnecessary noise he made it to the back door of the cabin, making his exit. Halfway there, all he needed was to deliver this little brat to Stefano. 

Sami stirred in her sleep, thinking she had heard a noise from somewhere, but she must have imagined it as she snuggled next to EJ. She strained her ears to see if she heard anything else and shook her head thinking she must be hearing things. If something were wrong with the twins, they would be crying she reasoned to herself and moved in closer to EJ as she drifted back off into sleep.

Johnny awoke during Lucas' trek back to Stefano who was waiting for him to bring the infant to him. Lucas did his best not to upset the child who was disoriented by being taken from his home during the middle of the night, but soon he would have a better life, one with his grandfather.

"Don't worry Johnny, things are looking up for you," Lucas said to him as he saw Stefano's getaway car looming just ahead. Lucas was thrilled; he only wished he would be able to see EJ and Sami's despair when they realized their son was missing.

Stefano had everything arranged; he would fly out tonight to Italy as soon as Lucas brought him the baby. He couldn't wait; Gianni would be the one who would one day take over the DiMera Empire. All his other children had proven to be nothing but total failures, but this child, his grandson would make all those disappointments fade away into the background like a bad dream.

He could see Lucas coming towards him and he started to laugh. The imbecile had pulled off kidnapping the child because he could clearly see the blanket that was covering his prized grandson. Now he would be able to raise him like a true DiMera with no interference from his meddling mother and his father who didn't have enough backbone to stand up to Samantha. Stefano had tried to tell his son how important it was to be the head of the household, but of course his son was so blinded by love for Samantha he failed to listen to his father, which was one of many mistakes EJ had made since meeting Samantha.

Well, he would raise Gianni himself, and together they would be a force that no one would be able to stand against. Stefano envisioned the upcoming years with Gianni; they would be ones he would cherish even if he had to sacrifice his son's happiness to get what he wanted.

He patted the envelope in the pocket of his jacket; this would be the payment for Lucas' services. Lucas would receive enough money to get him out of the country along with an added bonus. After all the man deserved to know the truth…

They made it without being caught, other than Johnny fidgeting and starting to cry, the plan was a major success Lucas thought as the door to the car opened and Stefano stepped outside. His smile was a mixture of victory along with something else Lucas couldn't quite put his finger on at the moment.

Lucas didn't have time to decipher what Stefano was thinking when he heard the man laugh out loud, his laughter echoing in the stillness of the surrounding woods while they stood outside on the dirt road where the car was parked.

"Hand him to me," Stefano said, his voice triumphant as Lucas placed Johnny into his outstretched arms. He instantly leaned down to place a kiss on Johnny's forehead as soon as Lucas gave him the child. "Ah, there you are my precious grandchild."

"So, I've got him here," Lucas prompted wanting to get his money so that he wouldn't have to worry about his finances for the rest of his life. Stefano promised him a fortune if he delivered the child to him and he had. Now it was time to get his money.

"Of course," Stefano placed Johnny in a car seat strapping the crying baby into it before turning his attention back to Lucas. He reached into the pocket of his jacket, handing Lucas a thick envelope.

"Mind if I check it?" Lucas asked, not trusting Stefano to pay him the full amount promised.

"By all means go ahead," Stefano gestured as Lucas tore open the manila envelope, "and your car is awaiting you whenever you decide to go."

"Thanks," Lucas began to thumb through the bills, it was a huge amount of money, more than he had ever seen in his lifetime and then his brow furrowed, and there was also an official looking document included with the money. He pulled it out of the envelope and looked to Stefano.

"If you're wondering what that is, well just say it was a little extra for helping me out," Stefano said cryptically as Lucas tried to see what was written on the pages. "Do you need some light? I'm sure you want to know what the paper means." 

"Please," Lucas moved over to the car and Stefano allowed him to sit in the front seat of the car so that he could read the missive. Lucas scanned the pages, shaking his head, no this couldn't be true, Allie was his child not EJ's. He turned angry eyes to Stefano as he stepped out of the car. "What is this crap? Allie is my child!"

"Well I owed your mother a favor since we go way back," Stefano sighed thinking of the many things Kate had helped him with over the years.

"What did you do Stefano?" Lucas shouted, not wanting to believe his mother had asked Stefano to change the DNA test results to show that one child would be his and the other EJ's.

"I simply helped out a very dear old friend, one who has been loyal to me over the years," Stefano shrugged his shoulders to Lucas which only infuriated him all the more.

"You bastard! You've let me believe that Allie was mine all along! Why wouldn't you want her too?"

"I have no need for the girl, it's the sons a man wants to turn things over to when the time is right, the girl would only be too emotional to rule the DiMera family, so when we found out there would be one of each, Kate and I decided to let the girl go to you."

"Unbelievable," Lucas snorted in disgust, now EJ had them all and he had nothing, absolutely nothing.

"Oh believe it Lucas; I have the power to make things work to my advantage each and every time. Haven't you realized I can even bring men back from the dead?" He asked laughing again thinking that John Black would never get his memory back as long as he didn't find the disc Rolf had made when they were nursing the poor man back to health.

"I hate you!" Lucas spat out, his heart even turning a darker shade of black than it already was by the latest turn of events.

"Join the club Lucas, join the club," Stefano continue to laugh, this pipsqueak was nothing to him at all, why if it hadn't been of his fondness for his mother, he'd killed him long ago just for the fun of it. He was ready to leave, but not before he planted another seed into the man's mind. "Lucas you do realize Sami and EJ have no clue that Allie really belongs to them instead of you."

"They don't know?"

"Of course not, but I guess they will go on believing that you are Allie's father, too bad you won't ever get to see her again unless…"

"Unless what? I have to get out of here before I am caught."

"Unless you take her away from EJ too and then he'll have nothing at all. The ingrate deserves nothing after turning his back on his father," Stefano saluted Lucas and got into the car, motioning for the driver to take off leaving Lucas standing there in the middle of the dirt road with his envelope full of cash and hatred brimming in his heart.

He was going to go back to the cabin. EJ really didn't deserve to have a damn thing…

_Give Me the Remote!__**  
><strong>__Chapter 32_

The cabin was still dark, that was a good sign Lucas thought still struggling to wrap his mind around the truth of EJ being Allie's father. Damn his mother and Stefano to hell for letting him believe otherwise!

He couldn't trust anyone that much he knew now after Stefano revealed the ugly truth to him. Once again he slipped into the house, thankful Sami and EJ had not been alerted yet of their son's disappearance along with the news that he and Stefano had escaped, but he knew time was running short. If he wanted to get Allie out of there undetected he would have to hurry.

He was safely in her room when it happened, Allie moved in her sleep reaching out for Johnny only to find him not beside her and she let out a wail, crying for her brother. 

"Shit," Lucas muttered under his breath as he flattened himself up against the wall beside the doorway. There would be no way for Sami and EJ not to hear Allie; she had a set of lungs on her that would wake the dead Lucas thought grimly as she really started to get wound up.

Sami moved in the bed, Allie was crying and she was sure Johnny wouldn't be far behind her as loud as she was being at the moment. EJ stirred too, starting to get up, but Sami kissed him telling him she would take care of this round while she got up from bed, reaching for her robe and pulling it on as she headed out to the twin's bedroom. 

EJ stretched in bed, smiling as he recalled the last twenty-fours, his love for Samantha growing with each passing minute they shared. It had been wonderful to have her fall asleep in his arms after they had made love again. He decided to get up and go help Samantha, if Allie was crying this hard, her brother would soon be awake too. 

He found his blue jeans from earlier in the day along with his shirt hurriedly putting them on, he liked helping Samantha with the babies and now it would be even better since they were well on their way to being a real family in every sense of the word.

Sami turned on the hallway light, not wanting to turn on the light in the twin's room, their nightlight would provide enough light for her to see them she thought as she entered the room saying, "Allie, honey don't cry, mommy's here."

She reached for Allie and she stilled, fear immediately flooding her heart as she looked for Johnny. Where was her baby boy? She didn't even notice Lucas standing by the doorway until she heard the sound of his voice.

"What no welcome home for me Sami?"

Sami's eyes widened as she stood in between the crib with Allie while Lucas started to saunter up closer to her, "Lucas, what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to claim my child along with my wife," Lucas' eyes narrowed as he kept walking toward Sami, no longer caring if EJ caught them or not as he spied the flimsy robe Sami was wearing with nothing else underneath it at all. His anger grew as he thought of her sleeping naked next to that son of a bitch whom had ruined his life. 

"Ex-wife," she stuttered over Allie's cries, she wanted to reach for her daughter to calm her, but she didn't want Lucas anywhere near her.

"Yes, ex-wife indeed especially since you have been fucking EJ's brains out," Lucas spat at her, pushing her aside as he went to pick up Allie from the crib.

"Lucas what have you done with Johnny?" Sami asked quietly, her voice shaking since it was dawning on her that Lucas had something to do with her son not being in his room with his sister.

Lucas ignored her question, getting Allie up and trying to shush her, "its okay honey, I may not be your daddy, but EJ sure as hell won't be either."

Sami stared at Lucas dumbfounded, "What do you mean Lucas? Allie is your daughter."

Lucas turned his eyes back to Sami, ones that were darkened with hate and anger, "Just found out from EJ's dad that Allie is his too, even though EJ isn't going to raise either one of them now. I'm taking Allie with me."

"Where is Stefano Lucas?" Sami was about to lose it, why had she told EJ that she would get Allie? She needed him here with her, Lucas was out of his mind and she was sure Stefano was somewhere close by.

Lucas laughed an eerie sounding laugh and told her calmly, "Stefano is gone; he's taking Johnny far away from you and EJ. Stefano is going to raise your child to be a true DiMera was how he put it to me, at least that is what I think he said before he told me he and Kate had let me believe Allie was mine."

"Samantha, I thought you might need some help sweetheart," EJ said entering the room talking until he stopped short by the sight before him. Sami looking terrified and Lucas standing there holding Allie away from her even though she was desperately reaching for her mother.

"The man of the evening enters," Lucas rolled his eyes mockingly in EJ's direction as he held Allie close to him, not letting Sami anywhere near her. "Well don't just stand there EJ, aren't you going to say hello? I thought you Brits had better manners."

EJ cast a quick glance to Sami who was trying not to cry and before he could react Lucas was pulling out a gun from his jeans with one hand pointing it toward Sami.

"Never mind, I really don't care if you say hello or not, right now my wife, daughter and I are leaving." Lucas said motioning Sami towards the door as he nudged Sami in the back with the gun.

_Give Me the Remote!__**  
><strong>__Chapter 33_

EJ stood there mentally castigating himself for not being more careful. He had let his guard slip the past few days and he didn't even have his gun with him. He had carried it with him constantly the first week they had stayed at the cabin together. Where in the hell were the guards? There was no way he was going to let Lucas waltz out of there with his wife and children, he'd kill him first.

Sami could see EJ was thinking of what to do, she'd have to trust him to get them away from Lucas, who was clearly insane. Oh my god, Stefano had Johnny! It was taking all the inner strength she possessed to not fall down to the floor in a heap thinking that monster had her baby. She was trembling as she kept walking to the door, passing by EJ so closely she could almost feel him touch her.

EJ was tempted to grab Samantha away from Lucas, but he had Allie in his arms and he couldn't do anything to hurt that precious baby. He had to think, he would let them go downstairs and he would be able to get to his gun, then he groaned inwardly, his gun was in the table by the front door; he didn't think he could get to it before Lucas made it outside with Samantha and Allie.

His thoughts were racing a mile a minute, no way was Lucas going to come in here and take his family away from him. Where was Johnny? Had Lucas already taken him somewhere? Then he stopped in his tracks, knowing exactly where Johnny had to be and that was with his father. Lucas didn't have enough sense to orchestrate a kidnapping, his father had to be the driving force behind Lucas escaping from jail and finding his way here because Samantha had told EJ she never said a word to Lucas about the location of the safe house.

How could Stefano do this to him? He knew his father was angry with him, but for him to do this to was unthinkable. He should have known not to cross his father, the man dealt with revenge on a daily basis as a motto for life. Now if he hurt his family EJ would have no choice but to go head to head with the man who had raised him.

He had to stop Lucas from leaving the cabin; no way was he going to terrorize his family like this ever again.

"Come on Sami, get a move on," Lucas ordered almost making her fall down the stairs in the process.

She had to stop him, sure Lucas was angry, but hopefully she could reason with him, "Lucas, please you don't want to do this."

"I sure as hell do," Lucas jabbed the gun into her back again to emphasis how badly he wanted her to leave with him as Allie's wails grew louder. She didn't recognize Lucas and she was scared.

"Lucas, just let me have Allie," Sami pleaded when she reached the bottom of the stairs, relieved when she saw EJ at the top of the stairs.

"Why so you can take her away from me too? No, you've taken quite enough from me as it is with your precious lover boy EJ. I can't believe you've played me for such a fool!" 

Sami glanced at EJ who mouthed to her for her to move with Lucas into the kitchen, thankfully she could understand him and started walking toward the kitchen so that EJ could come down the stairs without alerting Lucas to the fact.

He scrambled down the stairs, taking them two at a time to get to the bottom of them and was heading for the hiding place where he kept his handgun when he heard Sami cry out and without giving it a second thought headed straight into the kitchen to confront Lucas.

"Lucas, please you don't want to hurt Allie," Sami said tearfully, her heart feeling like it was being ripped into by not being able to comfort her baby when she was crying for her.

"She isn't hurt, she just wants to leave, like I do," Lucas refused to give her to Sami and pushed her back away from them when she tried to grab her from him. 

"Let her have Allie!" EJ shouted across the room. "You aren't doing anything except upsetting your child! For god's sakes man, get a grip and let Samantha take care of Allie! It's plain to see that the child does not want you to hold her!"

Lucas turned to EJ giving him a look of pure unadulterated hatred, "Now you think you're an authority on children just because you've been fucking my wife?"

"She's not your wife, she's mine!" EJ moved cautiously toward them hoping to distract Lucas enough so that Sami could grab Allie from him.

"You just wouldn't leave her alone, you just kept coming around us, getting Sami confused when she loved me, not you," Lucas said as he started in on a list of EJ's sins, relaxing his grip on Allie for just a second.

"You're right Lucas, I do love you," Sami lied, trying to get Lucas to give her Allie even though she was lying through her teeth at the moment, she was desperate to get her child back into the safety of her arms.

"She does love you Lucas, so please give her Allie," EJ chimed in, hating to say the words, but they had to play along with him so he would feel comfortable enough to hand over Allie to Samantha.

"Giving up on her already, now that you've gotten some?" Lucas pulled back away from them both a slight bit as he tried to figure out what they were trying to do with this new avenue the conversation was suddenly taking.

"Samantha will never love me the way she loves you, I was just fooling myself into thinking otherwise," EJ said sadly casting a glance in Samantha's direction and hoping that somehow she knew he really didn't believe that at all.

"You're right, she never loved you." Lucas agreed with EJ and then snidely added, "You know she slept with me while she was married to you. We were having sex across the hall while you were crippled up sitting all forlorn in your wheelchair." 

"I know," EJ said quietly, his head dropping down to look at the floor, he had never wanted to admit to Sami he knew she had slept with Lucas again after they had taken their wedding vows, but now if admitting that bit of knowledge helped Lucas think he could trust Samantha he had to do it.

Sami shot EJ a look of disbelief, when she had slept with Lucas, she thought she had been justified in her actions, that EJ would never find out and he had known all along, never once calling her the vicious names Lucas seemed to do when he thought she had wronged him. EJ loved her enough to look past her indiscretions, how could she have been so blind to such unconditional love the man had for her all along?

EJ finally spoke again, "I know when it is time to step aside. Samantha belongs with you, not me."

"You got that right," Lucas boasted, not even looking at Sami, only thinking of her as a prize he had finally won.

"So please let her have Allie," EJ said as Sami stepped forward to take the child from Lucas who reluctantly handed her over to Sami.

For an instance Sami tried to step back towards EJ, but Lucas stopped her, grabbing her by the arm before she could make another step near him, swiftly turning her around so that her back was next to his front.

"Sami you aren't going to tell him," Lucas prodded hatefully as Sami tried to comfort Allie as best she could while Lucas wouldn't let her move away from his grasp.

"Tell him what Lucas? Don't you think we've hurt EJ enough as it is?"

"Hurt EJ, please the man destroyed our family!"

Sami didn't say a word; she couldn't bring herself to say another lie to EJ even if it did calm Lucas down in the process.

"Well if you won't tell him the good news I certainly will! Guess what EJ? Your old man played God with your life once again, not only did you father Johnny, who by the way is long gone from here with Stefano, you also fathered Allie!" 

EJ's eyes widened, trying to absorb the shock of the news that Allie was his and before he could stop himself he was smiling. That precious angel was his little girl after all.

"Wait before you start celebrating because I'm taking them both with me and once again you'll be left alone like you deserve," Lucas said as he started to tug on Sami's arm trying to lead her to the back door of the cabin.

Sami looked to EJ uncaring if the gun was still poking in her ribs or not, she had to get away from Lucas. There was no way that she was going to let him take her child anywhere. She took the elbow of her free arm that was not holding Allie and jabbed him in the ribs, pushing away from him.

She managed to get free of his clutches and ran to EJ, who immediately put himself in between her and Lucas.

"I'm not going anywhere with you! You sick selfish son of a bitch! I can't believe you kidnapped Johnny and gave him to Stefano! I hate you!"

"See how quickly that lying bitch can turn on you EJ?" Lucas kept coming, determined to get Allie away from her, but EJ took a swing at him, knocking him to the floor.

"Run Samantha," EJ said as calmly as he could, hoping he could get them both away from Lucas before he did something else to them.

"No EJ…" Sami started to argue, but was cut short by EJ.

"Get out of here; you don't want to see what I'm going to do to this piece of trash."

"You're the trash DiMera!" Lucas started to get up, reaching for the gun he dropped on the floor when he hit it, but EJ kicked it out of the way. 

"Not so big without your gun, are you?" EJ asked with disgust, hating Lucas all the more after he admitted to kidnapping Johnny and handing him over to his father. "Then again you are a tiny pitiful excuse for a man anyway. Get up and fight you freaking lap dog!"

Lucas got to his feet, ready to swing at EJ when EJ hit him again, causing Lucas to stumble back a few feet as his lip started to bleed. He wiped at his lip and backed up a few more feet, trying to find something to use against EJ when he stopped and smiled, reaching into the back pocket of his blue jeans.

EJ was coming up toward him, ready to pummel and smash Lucas to pieces when suddenly Lucas made an upward movement, causing EJ to stop in his tracks, "Here's a little something for you that I got from Carmine. He taught me how to use a shank in the yard during rec time."

EJ looked down; the shock of having Lucas stab him not fully hitting him yet as he tried to pull out the offending piece of metal that was lodged inside his abdomen, resting just below his heart. Somehow he pulled the homemade knife out of his body while his knees buckled and he started to fall to the floor.

"Let's go Sami," Lucas said calmly, stepping over EJ's fallen form as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

Sami stood still not moving for a second and then she rushed to EJ, her grip on Allie becoming slack which Lucas took full advantage of by retaking her away from her mother. It all happened so fast that Sami didn't even realize what Lucas was doing until it was too late.

The shock of seeing EJ lying on the floor bleeding was too much to take. What the hell was Lucas thinking; he couldn't kill EJ thinking this would take him out of her heart because he'd been firmly entrenched there even before she was able to admit it to herself.

"You better go," EJ said when she crept down beside him on the kitchen floor.

"I can't go EJ, I can't leave you," she cried, her hands shaking profusely as she tried to stop the tears from flowing. She pressed her hands to the wound hoping it would staunch the flow of blood, but instead his blood began to instantly cover them when she touched the spot where Lucas had stabbed EJ. "Oh god EJ, you're bleeding really bad."

He took a shallow breath, to breathe deeply would cause too much pain to show upon his face and he didn't want to scare her anymore than she already was with Lucas demanding that she leave right now with him and the baby. She had to get out of here even if he was scared out of his mind that Lucas was going to take her away.

"Calm down angel, I'll be okay," he managed to get out trying to sound more positive than he felt. 

She was so close to hyperventilating she could feel it, she was paralyzed with fear and couldn't move, afraid if she left him here alone in the cabin that she'd never see him alive again, "EJ, no don't make me go. You need me, there is so much blood. I've got to get you some medical help; I need to call Lexie if I can find her. Oh god EJ, he's really hurt you."

"It's okay, Allie needs you more right now. You've got to go protect our daughter," EJ gently reminded her, hoping the thought of Allie needing her would motivate her to go with Lucas even though it was apparent that she didn't want to go with him.

"I know," Sami nodded her head bravely, EJ was right she had to go with Lucas.

"Do it for me, please," EJ said softly, the room around him was spinning precariously and he had to focus on her, his beautiful Samantha. He reached out a hand to caress her face, "Just remember how much I love you, that you and the twins are my life. Don't ever forget that sweetheart. No matter what Lucas tries to do to us, he can never erase how I feel about you, Allie and Johnny."

"I love you too, I really do," she bent down to kiss his lips, her tears mingling with his own on his cheeks as they fell down on him. She broke the kiss, and raised up to push back his sweat streaked hair away from his forehead. "I'm so sorry it took so long for me to realize that right here with you is where I belonged."

He gave her a weak smile, hoping that she would be able to return one to him before she left, "Water under the bridge sweetheart, I'm thankful for the time we've shared no matter how short it was, now go before he loses it completely," EJ urged, not wanting her to stay because he was sure he was close to passing out

"Sami, you better get your ass out here right now!" Lucas screamed from the doorway, making Allie cry out in fear since he was holding on to her again so tightly.

"I'm not saying goodbye, this isn't the end," Sami said getting up and rubbing her bloodstained hands upon her robe, making it turn to a ghastly shade of violet where her hands touched the material.

"Last warning Sami or we go without you," Lucas bellowed.

"Go," EJ pleaded, biting his lip to keep from begging her to stay with him.

"Love you," Sami blew him a kiss amidst her tears.

"You too," he said as he watched her retreating figure go out the door with Lucas and Allie and then mercifully his world turned black.

_Give Me the Remote!__**  
><strong>__Chapter 34_

"Abe, I still can't reach either one of them," Roman said matter of fact as once again he tried to call Sami or EJ on their cell phones, he had given up on calling the phone in the cabin, any phone number he tried he was unsuccessful in contacting them.

"I've called the stakeout crew and haven't gotten a response either," Abe stated worriedly, realizing something was off, the escape of Stefano and Lucas from jail could only mean one thing, that they had went after EJ and Sami.

"I'm going to go up there, if something has happened to Sami or the kids, I'll never forgive myself," Roman uttered as Bo entered Abe's office.

"I got here as fast as I could," Bo said noting the seriousness of the conversation he had walked into as he looked at Roman and Abe's faces.

"Guess you've already heard of the jailbreak?" Roman asked hating the fact the media played such a huge role in leaking out news they really needed to keep under wraps.

"It's all over the news," Bo informed them, relaying what the press was saying over Stefano and Lucas breaking out of jail. "Abe if you need, I'll go with Roman and you can stay here."

"And face these piranhas? No, I'll let them continue to guess as to what has happened, I'll have to deal with the fallout later, right now I'm worried about Sami," Abe grabbed the jacket to his suit and the three were off to the cabin, Bo saying he was driving as they left Salem for once Roman not complaining that his younger brother drove at a breakneck speed. They rode in silence; fearful of what they would find when they arrived because they all knew too well what happened when Stefano DiMera was crossed.

Sami followed Lucas, not even realizing she was walking on jagged rocks cutting her bare feet as Lucas held Allie. He wouldn't allow her to get Allie back again, saying that Allie was fine just where she was at in his arms. Sami's heart was filled with a black fury against Lucas, she had to play along with him and pray Johnny and EJ would be all right.

Right now she had to protect Allie, and if that bastard Lucas thought he was going to get away with kidnapping Johnny, stabbing EJ and trying to take off with her and Allie, he had another thing coming to him. She felt the wind whip through her robe and she was chilled to the bone, hoping they were close to the car that Lucas informed her that he had for them.

She stumbled on a rock, twisting her ankle as she cried out, causing Lucas to pause momentarily to stare back at her, "Watch where you are going Sami! We're almost there and you can be free from this nightmare. You'll never have to worry about EJ ever again!"

Sami pulled tighter on her robe hoping for some warmth and didn't shed a tear, thinking all the while as soon as she could get Allie away from Lucas that she would maim him in any way possible. No one was going to tear apart her family, not without facing her wrath. She smiled a grim smile thinking that yes, she was finally coming to terms with being a DiMera because she could almost taste the sweet essence of revenge in her mouth while she thought of ways she would inflict pain upon Lucas, her anger slowly building with each step he forced her to take that was one step further away from EJ.

EJ opened his eyes, the pain still burning throughout him as he willed himself back to consciousness. He bit his bottom lip as he tried to move into a sitting position against the wall, his breath coming in short gasps as he tried to fight off the nausea and dizziness that threatened to overwhelm him with just this slight amount of exertion. He looked down at his abdomen, the button up shirt he had pulled on earlier, soaked through with his blood.

He sat with his back against the wall for a few minutes, trying to get the strength to get up. He had to go find Samantha, Allie and Johnny and when he did he knew without a doubt he would have no qualms killing Lucas. He wasn't going to take away his family from him now that they had come so far.

He had almost succeeded in standing up without falling when he heard a vehicle pull into the driveway outside, gravel crunching under the wheels and it hurled into a stop. He closed his eyes for a brief second hoping it was help because he wasn't sure if he would be able to fight off another attack, but he would die trying just to ensure his wife and children were going to be all right.

He'd never had so much to fight for in his life or to lose either…

_Give Me the Remote!__**  
><strong>__Chapter 35_

Lights were blazing in the cabin and Roman hoped for the best that he would find his daughter and grandchildren safe and secure, but when he, Abe and Bo opened the door to find blood splattered on the kitchen floor along with the sight of EJ precariously holding his side while he leaned back against the wall, he knew things were bad.

"EJ, what da the hell happened here?" Roman asked, coming into the cabin looking around the room to see if he could see Sami.

"Lucas and my father's need for revenge is what happened," EJ said his voice not much above a whisper as he tried to keep from passing out again. 

"Where are Sami and the kids?" Roman asked as Bo moved closer to EJ trying to assess the damage done to him.

"We were asleep, Lucas snuck in and took Johnny and then apparently he wasn't satisfied with just taking Johnny to give to my father, he wanted Samantha and Allie to go with him too."

"How did Lucas manage to get by you if you were down here?" Roman questioned EJ thinking his story didn't add up and then added, "There are only two bedrooms and Sami said the twins were staying in one and she was in the other with you on the couch."

EJ was quiet for a few seconds not really wanting to get into intimate details with Samantha's father of all people along with having Bo and Abe right there in the room with them. 

"EJ, how did Lucas get past you?" Roman asked again when EJ didn't supply him with an answer.

"Roman, it's personal," EJ began, not used to being embarrassed, but he could feel all eyes upon him as he struggled to come up with a plausible explanation as to why he wasn't sleeping downstairs on the couch. 

"What do you mean personal? If you were down here, I don't think Lucas would have been quiet enough to get by you without you waking up."

"I wasn't down here," EJ replied, not elaborating anymore than that tiny bit of information he had just relayed to his father in law, a man who had not been happy to see his daughter marry him in the first place. 

"So if you weren't down here, you had to be upstairs," Bo said chuckling under his breath. 

Roman, Abe and Bo looked at one another, and then looked back at EJ curiously.

"No, he wasn't," Roman said not believing EJ would be with Samantha, his daughter had told him time and time again her marriage to EJ was only one of convenience.

"Oh yes he was big brother, EJ was in Samantha's room," Bo doubled over with laughter as EJ looked upward to the ceiling wishing that he was anywhere but here with three men who did not like him much at all and now there was no way to get out of letting them know he was in Samantha's bedroom with her.

Roman looked confused, "You two aren't sleeping together."

EJ would not look at Roman or the rest of them either for that matter. Getting to know the Brady's was going to be a lot more difficult than he thought as Bo continued laughing. "Roman I think EJ and Samantha hooked up. I mean for once EJ DiMera is speechless and we don't even have him hauled in at the station for questioning."

"I would appreciate you not calling it hooking up," EJ said which only made Bo laugh more while Roman and Abe looked like they still couldn't believe that Sami and EJ were really together. 

"Okay, that's enough Bo. I just don't want to think about it," Roman said as he walked over to EJ. 

Bo calmed his laughter down to a few chortles and went over to EJ too. "EJ, how long have they been gone?"

"I'm not sure about Johnny, maybe two hours or so, Samantha and Allie probably around an hour. I'm not really sure how long I was passed out. I only made it to standing position right before your car pulled in the driveway. We've got to go find them. I can't let that bastard take my family away from me."

"We're going, but we'll call for an ambulance to get you," Abe said, punching in 911 on his cell phone.

"I'm not staying behind, I'm going with you," EJ stated heatedly, no way were they going to go after Lucas without him with them.

Bo looked at him, "Junior, you aren't looking so hot. I mean from the looks of things you've lost a lot of blood and you are as pale as a ghost."

"I'll be fine," EJ gritted his teeth as he tried to make it to the door, but Bo stopped his progression.

"Let me see your wound," Bo said, knowing if he were in EJ's position he would be going to find his wife and children too. He really didn't like EJ all that well, but it was apparent EJ loved Sami and the twins.

EJ eyed him warily, he really didn't trust any of them, even Abe who was his brother in law, but knew he wasn't going to be able to go with them if he didn't at least get this cut stitched up. He unbuttoned his shirt to reveal the gaping piece of open skin the knife Lucas had used on him.

"Roman go find me some scissors, thread, needle and a bottle of whiskey," Bo commanded as he looked over the wound which wasn't pouring blood as it must have before they had arrived at the cabin.

"I'll just wait and get it stitched up later," EJ began, but Roman kept searching for the items Bo had asked him to find.

"Junior, either you let me stitch you up or you stay here," Bo said shaking his head as EJ gave him a doubtful look.

"Are you sure you know how to do this?" EJ asked as Roman handed Bo all the items he had requested.

"Back in the day, I was a merchant marines and me and my friends got into quite a few fights which required sewing up cuts." Bo handed EJ the bottle of whiskey after making Roman splash some of the alcohol on EJ's cut making him hiss as the liquid hit the wound, while Bo threaded the needle knotting the thread securely at the bottom.

"I wish Lexie were here," EJ muttered as Bo motioned for him to take a sip from the whiskey bottle.

"Better drink up Junior, this is going to hurt like hell," Bo stated as EJ turned up the bottle taking a long draw of the contents before Bo began to sew up his wound.

"Son of a bitch! That hurts!" EJ exclaimed while Bo kept on with his task of sewing up the wound as best as he could.

Roman and Abe went outside to garner up more help calling the local police agency along with alerting the Salem PD that more help was needed to find Sami and the twins. There was already an APB out for Stefano and Lucas, so hopefully they would be caught before they could do more damage than they already had by escaping.

"Come on Junior, if you're going to stay married to a Brady and be a part of this family, you've got to man up," Bo said satisfied with his handiwork, it wasn't the best job he had done sewing up someone, but it sure wasn't his worse one either.

"Did I pass the test?" EJ said as sweat popped out on his brow. It hurt like something fierce while Bo was stitching him up, but thankfully he was finished.

"You did pretty well," Bo shrugged his shoulders and walked over to the sink to wash his hands before turning back to face EJ, "but I don't know how Roman is going to deal with you sleeping with Samantha."

"We're married," EJ said with exasperation in his tone. He didn't know if he was going to like being closer involved in Samantha's crazy family or not.

Bo gently slapped him on his shoulder, "Just wait until we have the next family gathering. We are going to initiate you into the Brady clan properly."

"There's an initiation?" EJ asked worriedly as they headed out the doorway to go find Samantha and the twins which only made Bo laugh more.

_**Give Me the Remote!  
>Chapter 36<strong>_

_**Author's Note: **__Warning some violence erupts in this chapter._

She saw the car looming up ahead in the darkness, realizing either this new avenue of escape Lucas had planned for her and Allie would be a place for her to execute her plan to get Allie away from him or would only garner up a larger distance to place between she and EJ. Her thoughts were running rampant in her mind as she tried to focus on whatever it would take of her to ensure their safe escape from Lucas.

It made her physically sick when she thought about what Lucas had done, kidnapping her sweet baby boy, an innocent child who had never caused anyone harm, just to secure himself into Stefano's favor. A black rage was steadily building inside of her against both Lucas and Stefano. Lucas had literally sold his soul to the devil when he chose to take her son away from her and give it to that cruel bastard.

She had to keep herself from crying out as her thoughts turned to EJ; she could only pray he would be okay. Leaving him lying there on the kitchen floor with the knife wound Lucas had inflicted upon him was something she would never forget for the rest of her life.

She loved EJ that much she was sure of and could only hope they would be able to have a future together, no thanks to Lucas. She was literally seething with her pain and fear, hating Lucas had fell prey to Stefano's alluring offer and turning on what was supposed to be his family. 

For once she was thankful Will was out of the country, he would be devastated to realize how low his father had sunk. She knew Will blamed her for many things that had went wrong with his childhood, but this fiasco his father had created made things she had attempted in the past to get what she wanted pale in comparison.

When they had reached the car, Lucas juggled trying to open the car door while Allie continued to squirm and cry while he held her. Sami's anger renewed itself again, thinking how heartless Lucas was to not even care that Allie was scared and crying for her mother.

"Lucas, hand Allie to me," Sami ordered her voice quiet and deadly, she was sick and tired of playing around with this bullshit Lucas was trying to pull.

"She's fine right where she is at," Lucas reminded Sami for what he thought had to be the hundredth time, sometimes she was so dense he wondered why he even bothered trying to explain anything to her at all.

"No, she is crying for me," Sami wasn't going to back down from him, not this time; he had caused too much damage already to her family.

Lucas stopped at the car door, and cast Sami a glare that would have frightened her if she hadn't of been so upset. Allie continued to wail, her cries resounding in the night air like a continuing echo across the landscape. Reluctantly seeing he wasn't going to be able to calm Allie down or appease Sami unless he gave her the baby, he handed her over to Sami.

"It's all right sweet girl, mommy loves you," Sami said in a comforting tone, trying to get her to stop crying. Sami gave the car a look over, seeing no baby car seat inside for Allie and scowled, "How do you expect to travel with Allie? You don't even have a freaking car seat for her!"

"She'll be fine in the back seat, just buckle her up," Lucas ordered as Sami opened the back door to the car and did her best to secure Allie into the seat, she started to buckle up beside her daughter when Lucas ordered her up front with him.

Glaring at him, she got into the front seat, scared that Allie would be hurt even more if she didn't follow Lucas' orders. Reluctantly she buckled her seat belt in the passenger's side while Lucas got in on the driver's side. He stared at her for a few minutes, not starting the car, his leering gaze lingering on her thin robe and the subtle outline of her breasts.

He licked his lips greedily and reached out to touch her. "Come on Sami, it's been a while for me and I really need some loving." She couldn't even stop the instant look of disgust that flashed across her face as soon as Lucas mentioned wanting to have sex with her. His eyes narrowed when he saw her unspoken response to his suggestion. "Oh you think you're too good to have sex with me now that you've slept with EJ? You fucking whore!"

She had to think fast, Lucas was getting angrier by the minute but she really didn't think she could endure having him paw at her after making love with EJ. That was until an evil thought came into her mind. Yes, she could play the part even if the thought of Lucas touching her made her sick to her stomach.

"No Lucas, I belong to you, don't you remember how good it was between us?" Sami almost laughed aloud thinking of the quick slam bam thank you mam encounters she used to have with Lucas, not too much foreplay from him at all, a quick rutting with him groaning and usually he was done for the night. Well this was one night Sami would be thankful for all his shortcomings so to speak.

She remembered he had taken back the shank knife with him before he left the cabin, securing it in his front pocket, with a seductive smile she parted her robe from the waist up to reveal her full breasts to him making sure he was entranced by her display. God he was so transparent it wasn't even funny she thought as he instantly leaned over, latching his mouth on her breast as she clutched his hair, lying to him as she urged him on, "Oh baby that is so good, you've got me hot already."

He was lost in sucking her breast not realizing that the hand she had slipped into his pocket was not seeking him out to arouse him rather for her to find the shank, she smiled above him as she felt him go to her other breast, the slurping noises almost deafening her in the car until she got the shank securely in her hand, shifting slightly as if to open up her legs to him which he thought was an indication that she was ready to have sex with him, hastily he opened his jeans ready to impale her when she took the shank and stabbed him right in the vicinity of his offending member.

At first Lucas couldn't believe the warm sensation hitting his groin section was blood until it was too late, Sami ground the shank into him deeper causing him to scream an almost inhuman scream. She hissed as she whispered in his ear, "How's this for some loving you sick son of a bitch?"

His reflexes were dulled, the pain unbelievable as Sami pushed him over a bit, unlocking the driver's side of the car as she kicked him out with every last ounce of strength she had in her possession. She hastily slammed the door shut locking all the doors with the button on the side of the door as soon as he hit the ground. She could hear him shouting obscenities out to her in the night as she struggled to get the car started, her hands trembling and slippery with blood from stabbing Lucas, but luckily the car started. She could hear him clawing on the door, beating on the window, but she stared straight ahead, no way in hell was she letting him back in the car. He'd kill her if he got the chance after what she had done to him.

She'd run over him if he got in her way, he was not going to ever hurt her or her family again. Her hands were shaking as the car roared off into the night, she unknowing of which way to go, but at least she was comforted by the sight of that bastard howling in pain as she took off leaving him stranded on the roadside.

_Give Me the Remote!__**  
><strong>__Chapter 37_

"Where could they be?" EJ asked urgently, clutching his side doing his best not to let the pain show upon his face as Bo sped down the bumpy dirt road, all eyes in the car anxiously on the lookout for any sign of Sami and Allie. Abe had stayed behind at the cabin, starting a command post there for the search along with the other law enforcement agencies. They were all in agreement it would be the best place for them to meet back at the central location of the cabin when Sami and the children were found. They would not even consider the possibility that they would not be found at all.

"Lucas couldn't have gotten very far with them if he arrived at the cabin on foot," Roman said trying to instill some hope into EJ seeing how upset he was over his family being torn apart. Roman had to grudgingly admit to himself that EJ did care for his daughter; the man was hurt himself and gave no thought to his own safety and well being all he was completely focused on was finding his family.

"I'll kill him when I find him," EJ admitted without a hint of remorse in his tone, he was beyond angry over Lucas' attempt to destroy the love and happiness he had finally found with Samantha.

"Junior, we're not going to let you kill Lucas," Bo offered up matter of fact. While he was pissed at Lucas too, they just couldn't take the law into their own hands and extract justice.

"If you love Sami like you say you do, you don't want to have to go to prison for killing that piece of scum," Roman interjected.

"He hasn't kidnapped your entire family, now has he?" EJ asked bitterly. "Bo, how would you feel about someone doing this to your family?"

"I know you're upset EJ," Bo began only to be cut off by him.

"Upset doesn't even begin to cover the enormity of my rage against that son of a bitch," EJ stated heatedly.

"For your family's sake you are going to have to let us take him into police custody when we find him and have the justice system run its due course for his punishment," Roman said all the while wishing EJ could kill Lucas for working for Stefano without having to face any repercussions. He still had a hard time grasping that his ex son in law could have agreed to do Stefano's bidding, but he couldn't deny the truth when it was staring him straight in the face.

"The justice system sucks," EJ spat out thinking how easily his father had escaped taking Lucas with him and having him aid him in his diabolical plan to kidnap Johnny.

"Your father along with your entire family knows firsthand how well the justice system works in his favor," Roman reminded EJ before he thought about it.

"Why do you think Stefano sent me to law school? What better to keep yourself one to two steps above the law than to have one of your own know all the ends and outs of the legal system to keep you out of trouble? Look, I know I haven't always been a model citizen," EJ began while Bo started to chuckle under his breath agreeing with his statement, "but I assure you I am a changed man. Samantha and the children have made me realize that kind of life is not what I want. From now on I'll be using my law degree to do good instead of trying to keep my father and his cohorts out of jail."

"What is it that you want EJ?" Roman asked wondering exactly what EJ would say in response to his question.

"I want my wife and my family back. I'd trade my life for theirs in an instant," EJ said wholeheartedly, "but I can't lie to you and say I'm going to let bygones be bygones with Lucas. He's tried to kill me more than once now, but to hurt my family is simply unforgivable. I'll have no sympathy for him whatsoever."

"Listen I can understand your frustration, but we can't let you kill Lucas if we find him," Bo said with a sigh thinking he'd like to get in a few good hits on Lucas for doing this to his niece Sami, while he still wasn't so sure about how he felt about EJ he did realize that the man loved Sami and their children. Maybe he had not given EJ enough of a fair chance after all. Suddenly he was seeing EJ as a man with feelings too instead of just another hated member of the DiMera family.

"What da hell is that in the road up ahead?" Roman asked as the headlights from the car lit upon something or someone lying in the road.

"I don't know, but I guess we are about to find out," Bo said as he drove up closer to what Roman was talking about trying to figure out what exactly it was too.

_Give Me the Remote!__**  
><strong>__Chapter 38_

_Author's note: Some violence in this chapter also, plus some harsh language._

The lone figure was lying halfway into the road, halfway into the ditch as the car stopped suddenly, the dust flying up from the road in the pale moonlight.

"Is that?" Bo asked as EJ was out the door before he could ask anything else.

EJ stood tall over him, viciously kicking at the pathetic piece of trash that was lying helplessly on the road, "Get up motherfucker!"

Roman and Bo exited the car, coming up behind EJ as he started to kick Lucas again. "Did you hear me? Get up right now and tell me where in the hell is my family before I kill you while you lie there!"

Bo grabbed EJ's arm, stopping his momentum before he could kick at Lucas again, the movement causing his side to ache where Lucas had stabbed him and he could feel the blood start to flow again, but he was determined to have Lucas tell him where they were. 

"Don't EJ, he's not worth it," Bo cautioned as EJ tried to breathe, the anger flowing over him like a red haze blocking out everything except wanting to make Lucas pay for trying to tear his family apart. He shrugged away from Bo and picked Lucas up by the collar of his shirt, literally pulling him up from the ground, oblivious to the blood that was pouring from the injuries Sami had given him earlier.

Lucas tried to focus his eyes upon EJ, the pain he was in was making him delirious especially after EJ slammed him against the hood of the car, only adding more injuries to him than he had already sustained as his body jarred against the metal of the vehicle. EJ lifted Lucas up and smashed the back of his head against the hood, the impact making the hood dent under the force of the weight that EJ had applied when forcing Lucas against it.

"EJ stop it!" Roman shouted trying to break EJ away from his purpose of wanting to inflict as much pain upon Lucas as humanly possible.

EJ was like a man possessed, it was like he couldn't hear or make sense of anything beyond wanting to punish this miserable excuse for a human being. The hatred he had always felt for Lucas coming to a head in the most primitive sort of way.

"EJ, back off!" Bo added, working with Roman to wrench him away from Lucas before he beat him into a state of unconsciousness. Finally they managed to rip him away from Lucas, both men bleeding as Lucas had tried to fight back against EJ with little success, his blood loss and shock of injury making it difficult for him to give it much effort beyond trying to defend himself against EJ's unyielding hits against him. 

EJ tried to fight Roman and Bo off, but he was losing steam, his mind slowly trying to refocus on the matter at hand and his own injuries making themselves known as he valiantly tried to ignore the persistent pain that was radiating in waves from within his being by the stab wound.

Roman surveyed Lucas lying on top of the car while Bo kept EJ back away from him although it was still a struggle because EJ was determined to get at Lucas again. "Lucas, what da hell happened to you?" 

"That bitch stabbed me!" he spat back trying to sit up, but failing and slumping down until he slid off from atop of the car's hood.

"Don't you ever call my wife anything of the sort you lying sack of shit!" EJ warned ready to go back and hit Lucas after regaining his breath, but still Bo held onto his arm tightly preventing him from getting near Lucas when he tried to break away from his tenacious hold upon him.

"I'll call her whatever I damn well feel like calling her! Look at what the crazy bitch did to me!" Lucas screamed while he gave EJ a contemptuous look from the one eye that was not already swelled shut from EJ hitting him in the face.

The men all paused to look at Lucas with a mixture of repulsion and disgust, Sami really had did a number on him, the man would never quite be the same again that was for sure.

EJ's voice was low and deadly even, "Lucas, I'll only ask you once more and if you don't tell me I'll kill you even if Roman and Bo have to take me to jail for it. Where is my wife and children?"

Lucas tried to laugh, a sound that came out like a ghastly gasp for air instead of a chortle from him, "I've already told you Johnny is with Stefano. As for Sami and Allie, your guess is as good as mine. That fucking bitch stabbed me and left me on the side of the road to die, but just wait until I find her!"

EJ pushed past Bo, kicking Lucas again as he cried out in pain and then leaned down on the ground over him to whisper, "If you ever come near my wife or children again, you'll be missing more body parts than you've already lost tonight!"

Lucas replied, "We'll see, won't we. I hope you never find Johnny! Stefano will be a better father to him than you could ever be! As for Sami, well that slut will get what's coming to her in more ways than one!"

Lucas was about to say something else to EJ when Roman tried to pull EJ away from him, but not before EJ could spit in Lucas' face, "Remember what I said come near my family again and I'll cut you up into so many pieces that nobody will ever be able to piece you back together, much less find you!"

"EJ, come on son, he isn't going to be able to hurt Sami ever again," Roman did his best to keep EJ away from Lucas before he made good on his threat and killed him on the spot.

"Why are you helping him Roman?" Lucas' accusing voice arose from the ground; he couldn't believe that Roman and Bo would be on EJ's side for anything.

Roman gave Lucas a contemptuous look himself before saying, "Because he loves my daughter, something you obviously weren't capable of doing yourself."

"Come on EJ, let's go find Sami, at least she isn't here with him," Bo said as he and Roman attempted to get him in the car.

"He is not riding with us," EJ stated heatedly, no way would he ever allow that to happen, he would kill him if they were forced to ride in the same car together.

"No, he isn't," Roman agreed, reaching for his cell phone and calling Abe to bring a car out to pick Lucas up.

"You can't just leave me here," Lucas started to get up, but couldn't as Bo nudged him back to the side of the road.

"Watch us!" Bo said as he opened the driver's side of the car to get into the car. "You better hope the bears don't get to you before the squad car comes to haul your ass back to jail."

They were still hearing him scream about police brutality and ethics when they started to pull away, leaving him alone in the dark.

"You know I didn't think about the bears," Roman said stoically not cracking even a smile as EJ thought he might end up liking Samantha's side of the family better than he originally thought, they did have some qualities the DiMera's shared after all.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was so dark, the blackness of the night closing in on Sami making her feel almost claustrophobic as she continued to drive recklessly on the unpaved dirt road, occasionally she would look in the rear view mirror so afraid that she'd see a terrifying visage of Lucas in the road behind her trying to come back to get her and Allie. She had no clue as to where she was heading, she needed to be with EJ and wished for what felt like the thousandth time that she had a cell phone to call for help.

How could a night that had begun so wonderfully ended up in a nightmarish caricature so perverted from the original intent? She damned Lucas again as she continued to drive, her heart thumping erratically while her mind raced with various scenarios, wondering where Stefano was with Johnny and if EJ was even alive. She was devastated, but had to keep going, until she heard Allie cry from the back seat, quickly she turned her eyes off the road to check on her daughter and while she was trying to calm her, she failed to see the oncoming car on the road until it was too late.

_**Give Me the Remote!  
>Chapter 39<strong>_

Lexie was unable to avoid hitting the car that was in the middle of the road both of them driving way too fast for the conditions of the road. She braced herself for the imminent crash, thankful that she wasn't too bumped up from the impact as her car spun crazily into the ditch. She took a shaky breath, her hands gripping the steering wheel in what had to be a death grip, her fear slightly subsiding when she realized she could get out of her car.

The other car involved in the crash didn't look as if it was as lucky to escape incident, the front grill smashed completely into the front of the car that was stopped on the other side of the road, a few hundred feet further away than her car was located. Lexie hurried as best as she could thinking she might have broken her arm and the shock of the accident was preventing her from fully realizing the extent of her injuries when she heard a weak cry emitting from the car she had just hit.

"Don't worry, I'm coming," Lexie shouted, wishing Abe was with her, but she had been in route to the cabin where her brother had been staying in protective custody with Sami going to meet Abe to help them after she had learned her father had escaped from jail and apparently kidnapped EJ's son Johnny too.

She gasped when she realized the occupants of the other car, Sami and Allie. "Hold on Sami!" Lexie yelled as she started back towards her car to retrieve her medical bag she had brought with her.

Sami's mind was seemingly in a fog until she heard Allie cry, "Oh baby, I'm here." She tried to focus, her daughter needed her and Sami prayed Allie wasn't hurt as she started to turn around to look into the back seat, starting to feel faint by her sudden movements. 

She could hear someone calling her name from outside and she couldn't decipher who it could be, her fear overwhelming her that Lucas had found them and god only knew what he would do to them after she had stabbed him. She'd fight him to the death to protect Allie, he would never get another chance to be near her again as long as she lived she vowed to herself while trying once more to get to the backseat of the car to get to Allie.

Lexie made it back to Sami's car, opening the back door of the car to reach Allie, "It's okay little one," she cooed trying to soothe the crying and frightened child as best she could with her one arm feeling as if it was on fire due to the shooting pains coming from her wrist, which she had concluded she had broken instead of her arm.

"Oh thank god Lexie, it's you," Sami said, starting to cry tears of relief when she realized it was not Lucas who had found them, but Lexie instead. If Allie was hurt Lexie could help them. 

Lexie almost gave Sami a look of pure disbelief thinking she had never heard Sami utter those words to her before, and then stopped herself before doing so, thinking EJ wouldn't want her to be unkind to his wife no matter how much she disliked her as a person.

"Is Allie okay?" Sami asked frantically, she was about to buckle under the pressure of everything that had already taken place after Lucas had began his reign of terror upon their lives tonight.

"I'm checking her out right now Sami, she seems to be all right, just suffering from fright and some bumps and bruises from what I can tell," Lexie answered, looking Allie over as best as she could in the cloak of darkness that surrounded them. 

"Oh good, I don't know what I would do if Allie was hurt too," Sami started to cry even harder than before, her words coming out in a frantic jumble, not really knowing if she was making sense to Lexie or not.

"Who else is hurt?" Lexie asked, wondering what Abe hadn't told her anything beyond Johnny being kidnapped tonight by Lucas and handed over to Stefano.

"EJ, oh god Lexie you have to go to the cabin to help him, please I'm begging you," Sami cried out as she started to see bright spots appear before her eyes.

"I'm going there and taking you and Allie with me," Lexie tried to calm Sami as best as she could, seeing that she was on the verge of going into shock. "You just have to stay calm for me and I promise I will help EJ as soon as we get there." 

"Thank you Lexie, thank you," Sami spoke in a voice barely above a whisper trying to bring her bloodied hand up to wipe at her eyes when she slumped over in the seat.

Lexie rearranged Allie to rest on her hip, doing her best to dial Abe while holding the child to prevent her from falling out of her arms, luckily she got him on the first try, "Abe honey, I need your help."

Abe hung up the phone after speaking with his wife his heart racing in his chest as he immediately called Roman to let him know Sami and Allie had been found giving them the coordinates from the information Lexie had given him as best as she could from where the wreck had occurred. He then alerted the authorities to be in route to the accident site. He looked around at the cabin thinking how awful things had gone astray from the day he had taken Sami, EJ and the twins here thinking it would be a safe haven away from Stefano's clutches, shaking his head thinking how wrong he had been in his assumptions. None of them would ever be completely safe from Stefano until the evil bastard was dead.

_Give Me the Remote!__**  
><strong>__Chapter 40_

"We've found them," Roman said after hanging up the phone with Abe, a relief coming over him knowing that at least they would be on their way to get Sami and Allie. 

"They've found Samantha and Allie?" EJ asked wanting nothing more than to get to them as fast as they possibly could, he was going out of his mind sick with worry over not being with them.

"Yes, Abe just phoned me with the news. Apparently Lexie was the one to find them when she was on her way up here," Roman explained before giving directions to Bo pinpointing their location so that they could go to them.

"Why was Lexie coming?" EJ asked trying to get into their mindset over the situation. 

Bo threw his two cents into the conversation. "Abe called Lexie because your sister is worried about you and she was coming to help out in any way that she possibly could, plus she can check you out to see if there is any more damage done to you when you were stabbed by Lucas." 

EJ tried to ignore the wound Lucas had inflicted upon him the best he could even though fighting with the man had compounded his injuries even more so, but he couldn't think about being hurt, all he could do was concentrate on trying to find Samantha, Allie and Johnny. His family needed him and he needed them too. What he wouldn't give to erase this night from ever happening.

"I just want to be with my wife and children," was all EJ could say without choking up and losing it in front of Roman and Bo. He had to remain strong for his family even if his heart was breaking over the evenings past events.

"We're getting you there," Roman reassured EJ, pressing a hand upon his arm to let him know that they were going to help him in any way that they could.

EJ didn't say a word, afraid his emotions were running too high at the moment to say a word of thanks to his father in law and uncle, it was surreal to have them wanting to help him instead of trading insults and basically trying to shut him out of their lives, he guessed it would take time to get adjusted to being accepted by the Brady's. So he just looked ahead thankful for the knowledge that it wouldn't be long before he would be reunited with at least part of his family. 

***********

"Sami, can you hear me?" Lexie asked, still holding Allie while she tried to get a better look at Sami in the front seat of the wrecked car.

There was no response from Sami which worried Lexie, without being at the hospital it would be difficult to determine exactly what was going on with her. They needed medical attention and being out here in the remote area of the mountains would make things that much more difficult. Luckily before much time had passed Bo was pulling up alongside the wrecked cars, and they all exited the vehicle anxious to help them.

EJ pushed past them all, he had to get to Samantha and Allie; his girls needed him. He stopped just outside of the car Samantha was in as Allie reached for him, her little arms outstretched toward her daddy.

"Oh baby girl, you're okay," EJ kissed her forehead, unashamedly the tears going down his cheeks as he hugged her tightly next to him, her warmth providing him with a sense of comfort he had never realized that was missing in his life before now. 

Lexie tried to get his attention, "Are you okay EJ?"

"Lexie, don't worry about me," EJ brushed off her attempt to look at him and turned his head trying to see where Sami was located. "Where is Samantha?"

"She's in the car, we need to get her to the hospital," Lexie informed her brother watching his face fall when he heard Lexie relay the news to him. He handed Allie to Roman and turned to get his wife, moving as quickly as he could despite his injuries. 

She was lying there looking so fragile that his heart felt like it was shattered into a million tiny pieces. He reached for her, gently pulling her up into his arms, a worry instantly flooding him when she didn't respond to him at all. "I'm here angel, I'm here," was all he could say as he held onto her, kissing her forehead while he cried openly. 

The ambulance pulled up and Lexie began to inform them of the situation, while Bo led the paramedics to the car. He tried to get EJ's attention, but it was apparent that he couldn't hear him, so lost in his concern for his wife.

"EJ, the paramedics are here," Bo informed him, trying to get EJ to let go of Sami, but he wouldn't release her. "We're going to get you to the hospital and have you all checked out."

"Can I ride with her?" EJ asked his voice strained as he tried to regain control of his emotions. He was afraid to let go of her and that fear was apparent upon his face.

"Of course," Bo said nodding his head in affirmation, his opinion of the man he used to despise totally changed after seeing him with Allie and Sami tonight. "Come on EJ, I promise you won't be separated from her." 

EJ turned his weary eyes to Bo's not imaging that the man would understand what he was going through, but somehow he could sense that he did and he managed to say, "Thank you."

"You're welcome; let's get you out of here. You just have to let the paramedics get Sami."

"They have to be careful with her," EJ said softly and Bo nodded his head in understanding. They had all been through a terrible shock tonight and he hoped for all their sakes that things would get better soon.

"They will," Bo managed to get EJ to let go of Sami long enough to get her loaded into the ambulance and then EJ was allowed to get into the back with her. Lexie and Allie were put up front while Bo directed the next ambulance to the location to pick up Lucas, giving the paramedics and other police officers that had arrived on the scene strict instructions to keep the cuffs on Lucas since he would be transported back to the jail as soon as he was physically able to do so.

Roman and Bo watched the rescue teams drive off in different directions, the brothers both lost in thought over what had happened tonight.

"He really does love her, doesn't he?" Bo asked Roman, still trying to make some kind of sense over the intensity the night had brought to them so far.

"I never would have believed it if I hadn't of seen it with my own eyes, but yes, he does," Roman agreed as he and Bo got into the car ready to head back to the cabin to pick up Abe. Both men thinking it was going to be a long night indeed for all of them.


	5. Chapter 5

_Give Me the Remote!__**  
><strong>__Chapter 41_

The ride to the hospital in the ambulance seemed to take hours to EJ, but he realized it was an over exaggeration of his exhaustion, something that threatened to overtake his being if he let his guard down, but he was determined not to fall prey to sleep. He held Samantha's hand all the way to the hospital, talking to her sweetly and softly in a voice that beckoned her to wake up and come back to him, words telling her how much he loved and needed her in his life.

Lexie held onto Allie trying to comfort as best as she could while she prayed that at least for EJ's sake Sami would be all right. She had never seen EJ so shook up and upset. She was slowly coming to see just how much Sami did mean to her brother and so she resolved she would find it in herself to somehow forgive Sami for all the bad things she had done to her in the past. If EJ loved her so, there had to be some amount of good in her and she would do her best to get along with her for her brother's sake if nothing else.

The emergency entrance of the hospital loomed upon the horizon, the bright lights casting a vast contrast between the darkness of the night as the ambulance pulled up to unload the gurney that held Sami. EJ barely letting go of her hand long enough to let the paramedics take her into the hospital.

Lexie quickly got out of the front of the ambulance, still carrying Allie, knowing EJ would not want her to let his daughter out of her sight even for a brief moment. Holding onto the child, Lexie began to instruct the nurses to take Sami into an empty exam room, she needed medical attention stat.

"EJ, you need to let her go," Lexie urged as EJ doggedly held onto Sami's hand, not wanting to part with her, the desperate look in his eyes one akin to a fear she felt before in dealings with their father. How could Stefano had done something this dastardly to the son he claimed to love more than the rest of his children combined? Once again the age old hatred she felt for her father began seeping into her being, making her regret the day she had ever found out that she was a DiMera.

"I can't let her go," EJ shook his head, he couldn't let them take Sami away from him for even a second, something might happen and he wouldn't be there with her.

"I promise I'll stay with her the entire time," Lexie said as Allie once again reached out to her father. "Allie needs you too right now."

Just hearing his daughter's name helped EJ to focus, he knew Samantha would want him to stay with her, but he was torn because he didn't want to let Samantha out of his sight either. What if his father had people working in the ER? What would they try to do to hurt Samantha?

"EJ, I'm going to call Tony and Anna, they'll come stay with Allie," Lexie said trying to make EJ see he needed to calm down and somehow she knew if Tony were here, she might get a chance to look at EJ's wounds too. He was hurt and she thought it was only the shock of everything that had happened tonight kept EJ from collapsing himself. 

"Thank you Lexie," EJ said in a voice that sounded far away, his nerves were shot as he held on tightly to his precious baby girl. She looked so much like her mother that it made him want to cry, but he couldn't cry he had to find the strength to keep everything together when it all seemed to be falling apart at the seams.

"Please make her better Lexie," EJ requested in a voice that made Lexie want to weep for him, he seemed so lost and alone even with Allie in his arms.

"I will," Lexie said trying to reassure EJ even though she knew she shouldn't make such promises to him, but she had to do something even if she wasn't sure about what was going to happen with Sami until she had a chance to check her out.

She turned to the nurses at the nurse station informing them to call her brother Tony telling him it was urgent he came to the hospital and then she went into the room which held Samantha. She took a deep breath and said a quick prayer for them all, she wouldn't be able to bear it if she had to give her brother any bad news about Sami, and somehow she had a feeling deep inside her that he would totally lose it if he lost Sami forever.

_Give Me the Remote!__**  
><strong>__Chapter 42_

EJ watched Lexie order a team of nurses to the nearest available emergency room stall as the gurney holding Samantha was quickly wheeled into the cubicle his eyes straining to see even a glimpse of her form before the curtain was pulled tightly closed. All the sights and sounds of the hospital a harsh reminder of how wrong this night had gone for them after Samantha had fallen asleep in his arms. Their first night being truly together as a married couple marred by the madness of his father's controlling plans for what he felt was right for his family.

EJ had known his father would seek some kind of revenge against him for turning him into the authorities after he had found out what his father had done to John. It still sickened him to know how cold blooded his father could be, now EJ also knew firsthand how far his father would go to extract revenge from those he thought had wronged him.

EJ was at a loss for what to do as he felt Allie cling to him; no doubt his daughter was terrified over this evening's event. He had to stay calm for Allie even though his mind raced with various possibilities over what could be wrong with Samantha and how scared he was that Johnny was in Stefano's care. He inwardly shuddered thinking of what Stefano could do to his son.

He sat down on a bench outside the emergency waiting room, hoping that it wouldn't take long for Lexie to give him an assessment of Samantha's medical condition. The pain he felt from his stab wound and fight afterwards when they found Lucas was a reverberating pain that his mind commanded his body to ignore. He would get help later on, when he knew his wife was okay, plus he was hesitant to let Allie out of his sight, he couldn't take the chance on having his daughter kidnapped too.

He kissed Allie's forehead as she continued to snuggle within his arms, careful to keep her positioned on the side that was not wounded from the puncture inflicted by Lucas earlier at the cabin. As his mind turned to thoughts of his nemesis he vowed that Lucas would pay dearly for hurting Samantha and the children. He had never felt an all consuming hatred for someone before like he did for Lucas. When the time was right, he would decimate him to the point of wishing he were dead instead of being kept alive.

While EJ tried to keep his thoughts of revenge against Lucas at bay somehow Allie managed to fall asleep in his arms as the minutes slowly ticked off on the hallway clock. EJ felt his eyes start to shut on their own accord, but before his body would completely relax it would jerk threatening to awaken his daughter while he struggled to stay alert enough to be there for Samantha.

It was a strange feeling which overcame him when he felt the reassuring grip upon his shoulder by the hand of his older brother Tony as Anna came around to the other side of him, urging him to hand over Allie to her. EJ wouldn't release his daughter to Anna shaking his head no until Tony relayed to him they were here to help and support him. That they were his family the ones he could trust in, they would not hurt him or his loved ones as Stefano had so callously done by his actions this past evening.

As a sleeping Allie was taken by Anna she sat down next to EJ, Tony flanked him on his other side, "EJ, I never thought Father would go this far. I'm so sorry you and your family have been caught in the cross fire."

"I'll never call him Father ever again as long as I live," EJ vowed as he turned haunted eyes in Tony's direction.

His brother's own eyes mirrored his own as he thought back to the years he was kept from Anna and the rest of his family and friends in Salem because of what their father had deemed to be a just punishment for Tony not wanting to follow in his father's footsteps with his dreams of grandeur for the DiMera family.

"I don't blame you for having this revelation concerning Stefano and just know that we'll find your son," Tony assured EJ with a steely calmness in his voice which starkly contrasted his younger brother's vehemence against the man he had looked up to and admired for years, that was until he had fully discovered what a monster lurked underneath Stefano's surface.

"I have to get Johnny back, there is no telling what Stefano will try to do to him if we don't find him," EJ's voice strained as he tried to hold back the tears he could feel building inside, his hurt over his father orchestrating a kidnapping of his own flesh and blood even more appalling to EJ with each passing minute. He wished he could talk to Samantha, he needed her desperately.

He arose wanting to see Samantha even though Lexie had told him she would come to him as soon as she knew something. Apparently he stood too quickly and he started to fall when Tony caught him, steadying his weight before he could fall to the floor.

"I already have some men on the case trying to locate Stefano. I called them out as soon as I heard the news of what had happened. But right now EJ you need medical attention, you are going to be of no help to Samantha or either of these children if you don't take care of yourself," Tony admonished his younger brother as he started to steer him to the nurse's desk, EJ shaking his head all the while Tony kept course.

"I have to be here when Lexie comes out with news of Samantha," EJ managed to shrug Tony off and was about to say something else when their sister appeared in the hallway stopping them from getting into an argument over what EJ needed to do next concerning his own health issues.

"I should have known it would be my own brothers trying to cause a ruckus in the emergency room area," Lexie said giving them both an annoyed look as she put her hands on her hips.

"Is she okay? Can I go see her?" EJ fired off a round of questions completely ignoring Lexie being perturbed over their behavior, he had to see Samantha, he just had to be near her, and Samantha was the only one that would understand what he was going through at the moment. While he appreciated both Lexie and Tony, they were still trying to come together as a family. He wasn't used to having siblings there to help him out. It was still a foreign concept to him they would willingly fight alongside him to bring down Stefano.

Lexie placed a hand upon his arm, trying to calm EJ down as best as she could, "You can go see her as soon as you let me take a look at that stab wound. You look pale and I promise if you go with me I will take you to her right afterwards."

"I need to see her now," EJ stated the look in his eyes one of quiet desperation. "Please Alexis, you have to understand."

Lexie and Tony passed a look between them silently debating what to do over their younger brother's behavior. Tony nodded his head and Lexie did the same as she took EJ by the hand back to the cubicle where Sami was stationed leaving Tony to go back to Anna and Allie.

"Please tell me what is going on with Samantha," EJ pleaded outside the grey curtained partition.

"She's going to be okay," Lexie said seeing the instant relief flood EJ's face when she spoke the words.

"No internal injuries?" EJ asked itching to open the curtain to see his wife's face.

"No and luckily she seems to be coming around, but she is not fully conscious yet. I think the shock of everything that happened tonight along with the car wreck overwhelmed Sami to the point of losing consciousness. She does have a concussion, but other than that along with some cuts, scratches and bruises she is going to come out of this all right physically."

"But mentally?" EJ hated to ask, but he knew he was an emotional wreck himself at this point; there would be no telling what Samantha would be like when she came to fully understand Stefano had gotten away with taking Johnny. 

"I think you are both going to have some things to work through," Lexie said with sympathy in her voice, "but I believe that you can do this together. Just let me check you out, please EJ, Samantha needs you to be healthy, especially when we all go to take down Stefano."

"You're going to help us?" EJ asked knowing how much Lexie disliked Samantha.

"Yes, no one deserves what Stefano has put us all through, not even Sami," Lexie said.

"Thank you," EJ took an even tighter hold on Lexie's hand giving it a firm squeeze.

"You may want to thank me after I get done looking over Bo's handiwork," Lexie said knowing that Bo had tried to stitch up the wound EJ had as best as he could from what Abe had been able to relay to her as she took EJ to the next cubicle, settling him on the hospital bed. "Can you take off your shirt?"

EJ gave her a disparaging look, "Of course I can, but this really isn't necessary. All I need is some antibiotics; Bo did a pretty good job considering the circumstances."

"I can't believe you are giving Bo credit for anything," Lexie said as she watched EJ removing his shirt.

"Maybe all the Brady's aren't as bad as I thought they were," EJ said under his breath which caused Lexie to give him a grin.

"EJ hopefully they are going to see in you what I already know," Lexie said as she eyed the stitches that Bo had sewn with a critical eye and then as she reached over to examine the wound more closely placing her fingers around the area that Lucas had cut with the shank.

EJ winced when Lexie touched his skin and his brow began to form a light coating of sweat as she continued to thoroughly access the area, "What's that Lexie?"

"That you are a good man, you are not like Stefano," Lexie said as she called for a nurse to bring her a shot with antibiotics for EJ.

"I don't know how good of a man I am because I am going to kill that bastard for taking my son and encouraging Lucas to do what he did against us," EJ said as the nurse brought the syringe filled antibiotics for Lexie to administer to EJ.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it," was all Lexie would say as she swiped EJ's arm, readying him for his shot. 

"Do we have to do this?" EJ asked before Lexie could place the needle where it needed to go.

"I could make you drop your pants and give you a shot in the backside," Lexie warned as EJ tried to move away from her.

EJ huffed, "You wouldn't dare."

"Oh yes I would, so stay still or you're getting this shot in a place you won't like as well as this one," Lexie said as she moved back in closer to EJ.

"I get to see Samantha as soon as you are done with this?" EJ asked motioning towards the needle Lexie had prepped for him.

"Yes, I see no need in trying to redo what Bo has done," Lexie said as she finally placed the needle to EJ's skin.

"Good because once was bad enough," EJ stated while he closed his eyes as Lexie gave him the shot.

"You men are all big babies," Lexie stated after pulling the needle out of EJ's arm and pasting a small bandage upon it. 

EJ cast a warning look as he got up from the hospital bed and Lexie tried not to laugh at him. "Go ahead and see her, maybe she will be awake now. I'm going to move her up into a hospital room as soon as I get one available. She needs to stay overnight for observation for her concussion. "

"Thank you Lexie," EJ hugged her as he went to the next cubicle over, finally he could be with Samantha, and he needed her now more than ever.

The nurse monitoring Sami gave him a smile and quickly exited leaving him alone with her. She was mumbling something and EJ had to lean in close to hear her.

"EJ, where are you?" she asked, her eyes not opening just yet even though it was apparent she was trying to get them to do so.

"I'm right here sweetheart," EJ kissed Sami on her forehead and instantly he could see her body start to relax upon hearing his voice.

Her eyes fluttered open and she gave him a weak smile, "Oh my god, you're okay," was all she could say as the tears started to form. "I thought I had lost you."

"You'll never lose me angel," EJ reassured her as he sat on her bed holding tightly onto her hand that did not have the IV inserted into it as he also kissed it.

"Promise?" she asked after he released her hand and she brought it to his face reaching out to touch him as if to remind herself that she wasn't dreaming and EJ was here with her in the room.

"Always," EJ leaned over to kiss her, their lips briefly touching before Lexie entered the cubicle announcing that Sami's room was ready.

"I don't want to stay here," Sami shook her head. "We have to find Johnny."

"We'll do that tomorrow, right now you have to rest," EJ caressed her hair and kissed her forehead once again.

"But EJ…"

"Shhh, Allie and I are going to stay with you in your room tonight and when you get released tomorrow we'll do what we have to do to find Johnny," EJ said as the nurses began to move Sami from the cubicle to take her to her hospital room. "We'll be right there with you in a few minutes."

"Okay," she relented, her strength almost nonexistent at the moment, closing her eyes once again, but this time with the reassurance that EJ was all right and that somehow they would be able to come up with a plan to get their son back from Stefano.

_Give Me the Remote!__**  
><strong>__Chapter 43_

EJ went to get Allie from Anna when he saw him lying on a stretcher as a group of paramedics brought in Lucas heading straightway for the emergency room. He was not going to allow that bastard to be anywhere near his wife, fearing she would be upset if she saw Lucas while she was in the process of being moved to a private hospital room on another floor of Salem University Hospital.

His anger was instantaneous and erupted from deep inside him before he even could give it a single momentary thought. He stopped the paramedic's progress to the emergency room, blocking their way as he stood in the middle of the hallway.

"Sir, please step aside," one of the paramedics said tersely as EJ interrupted them from moving the stretcher any further.

"This man should be arrested, not being given medical attention," EJ stated heatedly, not moving one inch from his commanding stance in the narrow hallway.

"I'm warning you," the other paramedic said, "move aside or we'll be forced to call the police."

"Call them, they should be here anyway, this man is a criminal," EJ wasn't going to back down, he'd throw Lucas off the gurney if he got any closer to him and beat him to a living pulp in front of anyone who wanted to watch. He was not going to let that bastard get away with what he had done to his family.

"EJ, we are here," Bo said as he came upon the scene in the hallway, only being a few minutes behind the ambulance that brought Lucas to the hospital. "We are required by law to have Lucas' wounds attended to before we take him back to jail."

"This is simply ridiculous," EJ spat with his disgust on the floor barely missing one of the paramedic's foot in the process

"EJ, let them pass," Bo cautioned moving beside Lucas' stretcher while Lucas feebly moaned when he tried to focus his eyes on EJ and Bo.

"I'm going to save the county the trouble of having to waste its precious resources to give this pathetic parasite medical attention," EJ said with a calmness returning to his tone that was almost eerie.

"Let us get by," the paramedic said looking at Bo expectantly thinking the man who was halting them from doing their job was a bit of a madman himself.

EJ reached out ready to grip the stretcher when Bo placed a hand on EJ's arm to prevent him from doing so, "EJ, this is not the way to deal with Lucas. Let the medical staff do their job so I can do mine afterwards. I've got to be able to question Lucas. Don't you want to find out any information he may have concerning on how to find your son?"

Bo's words seemed to get to EJ when he mentioned Johnny. EJ turned his eyes to Bo, "I don't want this thing anywhere near my wife."

"You have my word he will never get close to her while she is in the hospital," Bo assured EJ so he let them pass.

When Lucas' eyes met EJ's they widened in fear, "Get him away from me." Lucas managed to whisper.

EJ leaned down, "Just wait and wonder when I'm going to strike Lucas because somehow someway you know the DiMera's always come to get what is owed to them and believe me your payment is going to be very high indeed."

"EJ, you don't need to be issuing threats to the prisoner," Bo urged not wanting to be a witness to something he may have to testify about if Lucas were to try to bring charges against EJ later on when or if he recovered.

"Not a threat Bo, that is a promise," EJ said quietly while the paramedics pushed the stretcher onward toward the emergency room. "Just keep him away from Samantha." 

"I will," Bo nodded as he turned to follow the paramedics; this was one prisoner that wasn't going to make an escape again anytime soon not as long as he had something to do with it.

EJ tried to curb his anger, but it was still high as he longed to go after the stretcher ready to make the first installment on making Lucas' life a lesson in misery and terror, when he saw Anna and Tony approach him in the hallway.

"EJ, Samantha's room is ready. Do you want me to take Allie with me tonight so you both can get some rest?" Anna asked her concern over how well EJ was going to be able to look after the infant along with trying to stay with Samantha mounting when she saw how tired and bedraggled he looked while he was standing there.

EJ looked between Tony and Anna wanting to trust them, but could he be completely sure that they wouldn't turn on him or be a party to Stefano's schemes too?

As if Tony could read his thoughts, "EJ we are not going to do anything to harm this precious child of yours. We are going to fight Stefano alongside you with everything we have, but you have to trust us."

"Trust is a commodity I don't have a lot of right now," EJ answered truthfully reaching out to take the now sleeping Allie from Anna's grasp.

"Trust us EJ, Tony and I only want what you want and that is for Stefano to be stopped once and for all," Anna said as she gently rubbed Allie's back while EJ shifted to find a position where she would rest comfortably in his arms.

"I'll try," EJ said, "but right now I need to let Samantha see this little one is safe."

"We'll go with you and if need be, we'll get them to make a room for us to keep her here, but you need to rest, you look like you are going to fall out any minute now yourself," Tony said as they began to take EJ to Samantha's hospital room.

"I don't know," EJ stated tiredly.

"Just let us help you, you are our family, Samantha and these children are our family," Tony said as they reached the door to Samantha's room.

EJ went to her, the one person he was sure he could trust, "Sweetheart, look who I have here with me." 

Sami's eyes lit up when she saw Allie, "Hey there sweet baby, you're okay."

"She's fine," EJ assured her as he brought Allie down to Samantha so that she could kiss her forehead and touch her. 

"We can't let her out of our sight," Sami said as tears started to form in the corners of her eyes.

"Tony and Anna are going to help us keep her safe," EJ said hoping he was doing the right thing by putting his trust in them.

Sami cast a worrying glance in their direction until Anna said, "I promise Sami we're here to help you and EJ. We are on your side. We are all going to work together to take Stefano down. He is not going to get away with what he has done to your family anymore."

"Thank you Anna, Tony," Sami said slowly looking at EJ for direction when he nodded that it was okay, their silent communication not lost upon Anna and Tony.

"If it is okay with you Sami, Tony and I will have Lexie set us up a room beside yours so that you all can get some rest," Anna said as she gingerly lifted Allie back from EJ.

"Promise me you'll guard her with your life," Sami said to her when she saw her take Allie from EJ. 

"We promise Samantha," Tony reached over to grasp her hand in assurance.

"Okay," Sami agreed allowing them to take Allie from the room. When the door was safely shut behind them she spoke to EJ. "Do you think they are really going to help us?"

"I just have to trust they are telling us the truth," EJ said wearily, wanting nothing more than to sink down beside Samantha on the bed.

As if sensing his thoughts without him voicing them aloud, Sami moved over slightly in the bed, wincing as she did so until she made enough room for EJ, patting the bed she said, "Please lay down with me, I just need to feel you, to make sure I'm really seeing you here with me and that this isn't some crazy hallucination that I'm having."

"I'm here, see feel," EJ said as he slipped off his shoes and unbuttoned his shirt a few buttons as he tried to be careful getting into the hospital bed with her.

Sami reached out to touch EJ, her fingers sliding into the opening of his shirt as she readjusted to snuggle into him, pulling back slightly when she heard the sharp intake of breath he made when her fingers got near his cut, "Are you sure you are okay?" 

"As long as we are together I'm more than okay," EJ said moving her hand with his own so that it would rest upon his shoulder instead. "I love you my sweet angel. Knowing that I had to get to you and Allie is what kept me from giving up."

"I heard your voice," Sami said softly as her trembling fingers traced his jaw.

"When sweetheart?" EJ asked his lips moving downward to kiss her fingertips.

"You were calling for me not to leave you, that you loved and needed me, and that was when I felt myself trying to awaken to answer you," Sami said her voice becoming sleepy as the warmth of his body started to flow over her being. "I knew I had to see you again if only to tell you that I love you too."

Her honesty was the best thing EJ had ever imagined hearing and even though his heart was filled with pain over Johnny being kidnapped, at least he finally knew how Samantha truly felt about him. He smiled a bittersweet smile at her, vowing to himself he would find their son no matter what the cost and then they fell asleep in each other's arms once more this time both hoping they would not awaken to another terrible nightmare like the one Lucas had brought upon them at the cabin.

_Give Me the Remote!__**  
><strong>__Chapter 44_

A few hours later, Tony and Anna were wide awake in the next room beside Sami and EJ, talking in hushed voices, neither one of them wanting to disturb Allie who had finally managed to fall into what appeared to be a fitful sleep, her tiny voice making noises that neither one of them could understand. Anna explained to Tony she thought Allie knew something was wrong her twin, that had to be why she was having such a difficult time trying to sleep.

Lexie and Abe appeared in the doorway, both looking worried as they gazed in upon their niece. So far tonight had not been a good night for their family at all.

"Do you think EJ and Samantha are going to be all right?" Tony questioned Lexie as soon as she and Abe closed the door behind them.

"Physically yes, if they are both careful these next few days, but emotionally…" Lexie began, and then halted as Abe helped her settle down onto a couch where they could converse with Anna and Tony.

"I could kill Stefano," Anna proclaimed, the hatred in her voice evident thinking of all the lost years the man had taken away from her and her precious Tony. Stefano's list of sins against what he called his beloved family was growing longer with each passing year that monster tried to control them.

"You and me both darling, but right now we have to do our best to keep our wits about us, Stefano has taken this to an entirely different level by kidnapping Johnny," Tony stated quietly knowing full well along with the rest of the occupants of the dangerous consequences that could occur when you tried to defy Stefano DiMera.

Anna noticed Lexie was agreeing with her brother although she didn't look so good herself. "Lexie are you all right? You look like you need some rest too."

"I'm fine, just a sprained wrist," Lexie held up her bandaged wrist for them all to view. "Really if Abe hadn't of insisted I needed to get it looked at I would have been fine without having it x-rayed. At first I thought I may have broken my arm or wrist when my car collided with Sami's but luckily the x-ray revealed I didn't break any bones."

"And only minutes before out in the hallway you were marveling over how stubborn your baby brother was in trying to refuse medical care," Abe chided his wife, moving in closer to her on the couch. "I wonder where he gets that trait." 

"From her" Tony pointed in Lexie's direction.

"From him," Lexie said simultaneously, before both siblings broke into huge smiles.

"Well we are all going to have to be tenacious as hell if we want to get Johnny back where he belongs," Tony's voice turned deadly serious in just a moment's time.

"Which is with us, his real family, not Stefano," Lexie looked at all of them, realizing if they banded together they might have a shot against the man who had all terrorized them sometime during their lives when they failed to do exactly what their father demanded of them.

"We are glad to hear you say that," a voice broke into their conversation, causing all of them to look up anxiously at the pair who had suddenly walked into the room.

Lexie arose to her feet, a frown quickly growing upon her face and a motherly tone evident in her voice, "What are either one of you doing up? You both should be in bed."

"Samantha was restless, she had a nightmare," EJ started to explain while Sami shakily made her way over to the bed Allie was trying to rest in, her baby talk in her sleep making tears well up in Sami's eyes as she reached over to rub her daughter's back.

"EJ, Allie is fine," Lexie said only to have EJ shake his head at his sister, not wanting any of them to upset Samantha any further over their concerns about their well being.

Sami kept her vigil by Allie's bed, not looking at them, just focusing on her child while she murmured comforting endearments to her sleeping daughter, who seemed to calm into a more restful sleep as soon as she heard her mother's voice. She felt EJ come up behind her and she instinctively leaned back into his embrace.

The room was quiet, while the parents looked over at their daughter, both fighting hard not to let the emotions of the night overcome them once more. Lexie came up behind them, "Please come sit down before you both fall out in the floor."

EJ and Sami looked at one another and then back at the people in the room with them, both deciding it would do no good to try and argue with all of them over what they thought would be best. Sami allowed EJ to lead her over to the couch where Abe had arisen to give them room to sit down together.

Sami let EJ put his arm around her, gathering her close to him both seeming to draw strength from one another. It was a few moments before he spoke, but when he did it was with a voice that verged upon breaking, "I don't have to tell you all how scared we are in knowing that Father, no Stefano," EJ corrected before going onward, "has taken Johnny away from us."

"I can't believe he has taken our baby," Sami's voice broke into a sob as she thought of her precious son within Stefano's clutches, all her deepest fears of what the word DiMera could conjure up in her mind started to come to the forefront. The years she had been separated from her parents etched permanently in her mind, what if the same fate beheld Johnny? She took a deep breath and wiped at her eyes, determined not to fall apart, she had to be strong.

"We are here to help you both," Tony spoke with an assurance in his voice, as all of them reached out to EJ and Sami, joining their hands together. "We are not going to let Stefano get away with this reprehensible behavior; he is not going to defeat us."

"We have let him get away with far too much as it is," Anna agreed, knowing it was past time for Stefano to be stopped.

"Yes, we have," Lexie concurred thinking back to when Stefano had placed her in the catacombs under the DiMera mansion to rot.

"Finally I have all of you in agreement," Abe's voice was one of authority, grateful at least they now saw Stefano for the evil entity he was, that this wasn't something he was preaching against deaf ears this time.

"Abe while I am grateful for your acknowledgment, I cannot in any honesty tell you I am going to follow the letter of the law concerning how and what we do to get our son back to us safely," EJ asserted having Sami nod her approval with what her husband was saying.

"I'm not going to try and stop you from what you feel you need to do," Abe said, causing Lexie to cast him a look of pure disbelief.

"Is this Abe Carver?" Lexie placed her uninjured hand to his head.

"Yes, I am sick and tired of Stefano trying to ruin and run our lives and sometimes you have to bend the laws to get things done," Abe replied knowing that this revelation would come as a shock to everyone in the room.

"Amen Abe," Anna was ready to clap she was so happy that they were going to give Stefano a taste of his own medicine for once, she was tired of living in fear of him too.

"I don't care what laws we have to break, we are going to get Johnny back," Sami said with a seriousness that dared any of them to disagree with either EJ or herself concerning this matter. "So if you do not want to help us, we will understand. I know Daddy would have a fit if he knew I was saying this, but I will make Stefano and Lucas pay for what they have done to my family."

"I guess what we are trying to say is that Samantha and I are prepared to do whatever it takes to make sure our family is never threatened again," EJ smiled a grim smile above her head, thinking he had indeed chosen the right woman for his mate, she was his true soul mate in every sense of the word.

"Well little brother I guess this is the dawn of a new era for the DiMera family," Tony said a wicked smile slowly spreading across his visage thinking this time the old man wasn't going to terrorize them anymore, for once all his children were in agreement, Stefano was going down, no matter what they had to do to accomplish that feat.


	6. Chapter 6

_Give Me the Remote!__**  
><strong>__Chapter 45_

They eventually convinced them both to go back to their hospital bed, not before both of them had looked over Allie again and placed goodnight kisses upon her forehead. They both were so very tired, yet even when they got into the makeshift hospital bed together which really was only meant for one person, they maneuvered around enough to ensure comfort despite their previous injuries.

The only light coming into the hospital room a faint stream from the hallway under the door, making Sami shiver suddenly, she was scared of what may happen if she fell asleep again as thoughts of what Lucas and Stefano had done to them earlier on in the evening.

"Sweetheart, it's okay, I'm here," EJ whispered softly into her ear.

Sami shifted around slightly to look EJ fully in the face, "It's just that I don't understand why you aren't blaming me for Johnny being kidnapped. I mean if I had only been true to my heart from the start none of this with Lucas could have even been possible. I wouldn't have married him and you and I could have been together all along raising our family."

"This isn't your fault Samantha, if anything it is mine. My father is responsible for this latest reign of terror. You know if I had just left you alone in the first place…"

"We wouldn't have Johnny or Allie, our twins, our babies," Sami touched his face tenderly. "No matter what you and I have done to one another we created those lives together and for Allie to be yours too is just incredible, I mean it was like you knew somehow the way you instantly connected with Allie too."

"I didn't know anything beyond that I loved her, like I loved Johnny, like I love you darling. I don't deserve your love; my family is responsible for so much misery your entire family has endured."

"Shhh, no you deserve to be loved, and I'm so sorry that I was blind to what you were going through all this time. Just because of your last name I turned you away, but now I know, I truly know you are nothing like your father," she emphasized it by moving in closer to him.

"Thank you for that, I have waited and hoped that you'd see the real me and you do, don't you?" EJ's voice broke as he tried to fight back the tears. How could things be so right and so wrong all at the same time? He had wanted Samantha to love him, but not by having to sacrifice their son to get to this place with her.

"You never have to thank me for loving you, I just wish I could have been honest with you before now, before it came to this that we pushed Stefano to such extremes. I just want to get out of here and start looking for our baby boy. I don't want Stefano trying to mold him into something…"

"Something like I was his faithful soldier?"

"I didn't mean it like that EJ."

"No, it's okay, if we are going to be honest about things we need to see things for how they really were and I came to Salem on Father's orders to destroy your family and then I saw you and from the first moment I knew I couldn't do it, you were so unique unlike anyone I'd ever met before."

"Is that a good or bad thing?" Sami asked with an upraised eyebrow.

"Most definitely good," EJ kissed her forehead before moving back to look her in the eye, "well for the most part that is a good thing."

Sami playfully nudged him only to have EJ give a slight wince. "Oh god EJ, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you."

"It wasn't you, but rest assured the bastard who did this to me isn't going to have a pleasant time either, especially after your little surgery you tried to perform on him," EJ said as he moved so that his cut wouldn't hurt as much.

"I got him so that he knew exactly how pissed off we are with him," Sami smiled wickedly. "Maybe I will make a pretty good DiMera wife after all. No one messes with our family and gets away with it."

"I like the sound of that," EJ said with a wink to her. "Darling, we are going to get our family back and stop Stefano once and for all. We aren't going to live in fear the rest of our lives wondering if and when he is going to strike next."

"Good, I want him to pay." Sami said whole heartedly and then added, "I want Lucas to pay too."

"Well Bo promised me Lucas was going back to jail as soon as he received medical attention. He wouldn't let me go ahead and kill him in the hallway."

"You mean he is here? Here in this hospital where Allie is?" Sami started to push herself up only to have EJ pull her back down next to him.

"You don't have to worry about Lucas, he is pretty much incapacitated at the moment, I mean after all you almost severed his penis in half," EJ tried not to laugh, this woman really was serious when she meant to get payback.

"Well he deserved it and more, but are you sure he won't be able to get to Allie? I mean if he took Johnny and gave him to Stefano then what wouldn't he do now that he doesn't have anything because when Will finds out what he has done he won't allow him in his life either." Sami felt uneasy, this entire night had turned out so terribly and her nerves were shot. She would feel right again until Johnny was back safe and sound with them.

"No, Lucas won't be coming around us," EJ said matter of fact. "I think after I beat him to a pulp before Bo and Roman made me stop when we found him on the side of the road he pretty much won't be up and around for quite some time. I told him I was coming after him, he wouldn't know when or where, but I would. No one messes with our family, no one."

"Not even your father?"

"Especially not Stefano, don't you think Tony and Lexie are done with him also? I mean he has nothing anymore."

"Except for our son," Sami added as she felt the tears coming again, it was like a part of her was missing with their son not being with them. The terror of not knowing where Johnny was or what Stefano had planned for him was frightening.

"We are getting Johnny back, but if you don't try to get some rest we are going to have a hard time tomorrow when we go after him," EJ kissed her forehead again. "Go to sleep darling, Tony and Anna are with Allie in the next room and I'm not leaving your side."

"You have to try to get some sleep too," Sami said as a yawn escaped her, she was so tired, maybe she could get a few minutes of sleep if only to keep them going. Tomorrow would be a long day for them all.

"I'll try, just knowing you being here beside me is the only reason I'm not losing my mind right now."

"Ditto, love you," Sami whispered, closing her eyes as she curled up into his body for comfort.

"Love you too," EJ replied as he closed his eyes, thankful that he knew for sure she loved him and they could get through anything as long as they had one another.

Hopefully they could sleep for a while; they had to be alert if they wanted to fight Stefano. And if he knew anything it was that his father wouldn't go down without a fight.

He just hoped they would all be able to outsmart Stefano this time because Johnny's life depended on it. He couldn't let his family down, not when he was so close to having it all.

No one was going to take away their happiness, no one, especially not Stefano.


	7. Chapter 7

**Give Me the Remote!**

**Chapter 46**

**Kate Roberts strode angrily into the main hallway of Salem University Hospital, her current visage one most people would cower from because it was commonly known she could be one vindictive bitch if she thought someone had crossed her. Her high heels clicked loudly on the floor as she proceeded on her way to find out any kind of information on her son. **

**What she had gathered from the sketchy news reports her precious son Lucas was being framed for something he didn't do. She knew all too well how biased Victor's television station could be especially since her son Philip had hired that drunken twit Nicole Walker to be a news reporter. It was such a farce. Just another prime example of one of her sons being led around with a portion of their anatomy by a tramp instead of using their god given common sense and steering clear of them, something her son Lucas should have done years ago concerning that slut Sami Brady. **

**All she was able to ascertain was her son was in recovery after surgery, but she wasn't being guaranteed she could see him as the nurse timidly informed her that Lucas was under police custody and she was given the reason being there were absolutely no visitors allowed per Roman Brady.**

**Kate rolled her eyes before she left the scared looking girl where she had stood, she didn't have time for this nonsense. This was imbecilic; she'd go straight to the source of this charade. Roman Brady.**

___***Give Me the Remote***_

**Bo and Roman were frustrated, they had been waiting for hours to interrogate Lucas, both wanting to know if they could get any clues as to where Stefano may have taken Johnny. But of course as soon as Lucas had been lucid enough after his emergency surgery to talk coherently he was complaining that he was in extreme pain from where Sami had stabbed him.**

**They had left his room, opting to sit in chairs in a cramped waiting room just a few doors down while an armed police officer stood by the door, guarding it to ensure no one could get in or out of his room. Not that they feared Lucas could get very far given his current condition, but since he had worked with Stefano they weren't sure if one of the DiMera goons would try to come into to silence him from talking to anyone, much less the police. **

**While they tried to strategize the best way to get him to talk along with coming up with theories of what may have happened after the jail break Stefano had organized Hope had arrived to bring them both some much needed coffee from the pub instead of them having to rely on the rather hospital coffee.**

**Hope pulled up a chair by her husband as she handed him and Roman Styrofoam cups that had the Brady Pub logo stamped on the outside of it and both men appreciated having some of their mother's coffee to drink**

**"****Thanks Fancy Face, this is exactly what I needed some of Ma's coffee," Bo leaned over to kiss his wife on the cheek. **

**"****Thanks Hope," Roman added as he immediately took a sip from the cup she had given him.**

**"****You're both welcome," Hope replied. "So do you have any kind of leads of where Stefano may have taken Johnny?"**

**"****We can't get much from Lucas beyond him moaning about how much pain he is in," Bo offered up derisively with no tone of sympathy in his voice for the man.**

**"****Pain?" Hope asked not really understanding why Lucas would be in pain.**

**"****Sami decided to return the favor for Lucas stabbing EJ at the cabin," Bo stated trying not to go into explicit detail about where Sami had stabbed Lucas.**

**Hope frowned slightly, "So Lucas was stabbed too? I take it that is why he was in surgery. Was he seriously injured?"**

**"****Let's just say he probably won't be fathering any more children," Bo quipped and was about to say something else when Kate stormed into the room.**

**"****What did you say about my son? And more importantly why am I being prevented from seeing Lucas? I'm his mother for god's sake!" Kate demanded as she scowled at each one of them.**

**"****As if we could forgot that," Bo muttered under his breath causing Hope to jab her elbow in his side trying to get him not to goad Kate into a fury with his words. The woman already looked mad enough to do bodily harm to them all.**

**Roman pushed his chair back and stood up to face her, "Katie, you need to calm down."**

**"****Don't you dare condescend to me telling me I should calm down especially when it's apparent my son is being railroaded by the Salem PD just like he was when he was charged with shooting that scum EJ DiMera! Plus you don't have the right to call me Katie ever again!"**

**Roman nodded his head, "All right Kate, I'm sorry, but you can't see Lucas."**

**"****You just watch me! No one will keep me from my baby!" Kate's voice rose in anger.**

**Bo rolled his eyes as he stood up as well, ignoring Hope tugging on his hand to keep seated, "Well your baby as you put it, was in cahoots with Stefano and is being charged with 3 counts of kidnapping and another charge of attempted murder too. In case you didn't realize it he broke out of jail before he went to trial for his first attempt to kill EJ, so he is not going to have his mommy going in to see him to hold his hand and tell him everything is going to be all right because he's fucked up his life even further by working with Stefano!"**

**"****You sanctimonious bastard!" Kate narrowed her eyes at Bo and attempted to make a lunge toward him, but Roman stood in between them before she could try and inflict any damage upon his younger brother.**

**"****Bo, shut up!" Roman warned as he held Kate off from attacking Bo.**

**Hope rose too, as she tried her best to get her husband to move away from Roman and Kate. Bo looked around the room, incredulous, "Why should I shut up? I'm telling Kate the truth. Her son is an idiot for aligning himself with Stefano."**

**"****The only thing Lucas is an idiot about is caring for Sami! She has been trouble for my sons since the first day they ever crossed paths and she has made both Lucas and Austin lives a living hell! I swear Roman if you don't let me in to see Lucas I'll be sure to return the favor!"**

**"****Are you threatening me Kate?" Roman asked.**

**"****Roman, why did you ever marry this crazy bitch in the first place?" Bo threw in there just to piss her off even more. **

**Kate's face darkened with hate, "I'll show you crazy bitch Bo Brady!"**

**Bo smiled welcoming the challenge, but before he could say anything Hope suggested, "Roman, why don't you let Kate see her son."**

**"****Finally someone in this room is being reasonable, then again I wouldn't expect these Neanderthal brothers to understand the bond between a mother and her son," Kate spat out, her voice still raised in a shout.**

**Bo and Roman both looked at Hope like she had lost her mind at least they did until she added, "Of course I understand Kate. I'm a mother too. Although you'll have to let Roman go in with you if we let you see Lucas since he would be bending the rules a tiny bit for you to see your child."**

**"****I don't know why I can't see Lucas alone!" Kate began when Roman cut her off.**

**"****I'll take you in to see Lucas, but I have to be present or you can't go. Take it or leave it Kate. The choice is yours," Roman loosened his grip on her when he felt her ease off a bit while she considered his offer.**

**"****She doesn't deserve to see the weasel," Bo said causing Kate to instantly bristle up again.**

**"****Bo, stop it," Hope pulled him back further from Kate and Roman.**

**"****I'm only telling the truth," Bo stated matter of fact.**

**Hope leaned in to whisper in Bo's ear, "She may get him to talk whereas you and Roman haven't gotten anywhere with him yet. The sooner we can be on the way to find Stefano the better chance we have of finding Johnny."**

**Bo hated hearing it, but he knew his wife was right. It bugged him that he had actually felt sorry for Lucas at one time although now he was just plain out pissed off over the misery Lucas had caused for his niece Sami.**

**Roman hoped that Hope was trying to stop Bo from making things worse with Kate because while he had only been married to the woman for a short period of time he knew nothing set her off worse than when she felt like one of her children were being wronged. "Kate, I'll take you into his room to see him, although like Hope said I'll have to go with you."**

**Kate knew from Roman's tone of voice that he wasn't going to allow her in to see Lucas alone so if she wanted to see him at all she was going to have to let Roman tag along with her. "All right, but I'm not happy about it."**

**Bo attempted to say something else in response, when Hope put a finger to his lips.**

**"****Let's go then" Roman placed a hand on Kate's arm to lead her to Lucas' hospital room and silently prayed his brother would keep his mouth shut at least until he and Kate were out of the room.**

**Kate reluctantly let Roman guide her to the door of the waiting room, hating the fact she couldn't see Lucas alone, but at least she was going to be able to see her son. Then she inwardly vowed as she and her former husband walked down the hall she'd do whatever it took to make it right for Lucas even if she had to break the law herself to get him out of the mess he had gotten himself in by working with Stefano.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Give Me the Remote**

**Chapter 47**

**"****I'll give you ten minutes to speak with Lucas," Roman calmly informed Kate when they entered his hospital room which only earned him another scowl from her, but in his mindset he thought she should be grateful for even that amount of time, no matter how minute it may seem to her.**

**While Kate thought she could withstand almost anything life threw at her, it shook her to the core to see her son Lucas lying in the hospital bed, his normally tan skin was tainted with deathly looking pale shade pallor. Even in sleep his face was etched in pain and it made Kate's heart constrict as she looked over his form.**

**"****What have they done to you?" she asked aloud even though she knew she wouldn't get an answer from Roman who was standing respectfully away from her by the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest. **

**She carefully took one hand and placed it on his shoulder as she tried to awaken him. She had to speak to Lucas especially if her time was going to be severely limited by the restrictions Roman had spoken to her just before they had entered Lucas' hospital room.**

**It took a few seconds of her gentle urgings for Lucas to barely open his eyes, at first it was only a mere slit as he tried to focus on his surroundings and when he realized who was at his bedside his face immediately formed into a frown.**

**His voice was low and came out almost sounding like a croak, "What in the fuck are you doing here?"**

**Kate was immediately taken aback by the venom in her son's voice and ever more so she was puzzled by his vehement greeting to her. While she realized he must be in great pain, there was no reason for him to speak to her that way, especially since she was probably going to be one of the few people who would take his side in the current situation he had gotten into by his reckless behavior.**

**"****Sweetie, it's me. I came to see you. I just wanted you to know that I'm going to do whatever it takes to get you out of this mess." Kate attempted to sweep the hair out of his eyes, although the motion made him pull back immediately from her touch almost as if she had burned him and he groaned in pain.**

**"****You're the reason I'm in this mess," Lucas hissed back at her.**

**Kate shook her head; surely the medicine was making Lucas perceive things that weren't correct. She would never intentionally hurt her son, especially Lucas since he was by far her favorite of all her children. "I love you. I would be the last person to cause you to get into trouble."**

**"****Yeah, your brand of love has destroyed me. I'm fucked and it's your entire goddamn fault."**

**While she understood being in jail had changed Lucas in some ways especially his language she couldn't see what she had done to bring about this hostile attitude Lucas was taking with her that was until he spoke the next few words to her.**

**"****I know the truth Mother."**

**"****What truth? I don't know what you are talking about Lucas."**

**"****Let me refresh your memory. Right before Stefano took off with Johnny he gave me a little piece of paper to go along with my payment for services rendered. Guess what it was Mother?"**

**"****I have no idea Lucas, but you need to keep quiet," Kate replied wishing Lucas would keep his voice down because she knew Roman was listening intently to every word he was saying.**

**"****You'd like that wouldn't you seeing as how you've tried to arrange my entire life, but this time you went too fucking far. I know the truth about Allie. Stefano told me all about your little deal to let me have the girl when EJ was the father of both twins all goddamn along."**

**Kate's face blanched although she tried to cover up her shock, surely Stefano hadn't double-crossed her with giving Lucas information that would sever her relationship with her son forever. "Lucas honey…"**

**"****I don't want to hear your lies Mother. You need to leave now!" Lucas tried to shift away from her and look in the opposite direction so as not to see her face.**

**"****Lucas, please…"**

**He wouldn't turn back to her and Kate instantly felt defeated. She'd have to find a way to justify this Lucas somehow, but apparently now wasn't the time or place especially with Roman being a silent witness to it all. **

**Roman's eyes immediately widened when he heard that last interesting tidbit from Lucas, now at least he could see why Lucas probably felt he had nothing left to lose. Stefano DiMera had that way about him though using someone for his sinister purposes and then tossing them away like garbage when he was finished with them. Too bad Lucas had been naïve enough to think helping Stefano was a good idea.**

**Kate stepped back from Lucas' bedside and for once Roman saw the confident façade she showed the world was gone. He almost felt sorry for her and even Lucas for a moment, but his ex son in law had helped kidnapped his grandson in some crazy mixed up scheme of revenge that Stefano had cooked up to destroy EJ and his family, which now Roman realized included his daughter and both the twins. So whatever emotion he may have felt for Lucas in the past in regards to his relationship with Sami the man lying in the hospital bed had killed any good will Roman had left of him.**

**Lucas Roberts or Horton, Roman had a difficult time trying to keep up with the surname changes for the man, was going to fully prosecuted to the extent of the law if he had any say in the matter. He would never consider Lucas a part of Sami's life anymore beyond him being Will's father and he doubted if Will would even consider Lucas to be his father when he found out what he had done to Sami. Will may be upset with Sami at the moment, but she was his mother and those ties were strong ones even if Will didn't want to admit it right now.**

**Breaking out of his reverie of family ties, he gallantly opened the door for Kate to leave the hospital room even though she didn't even look up from the floor as she took the steps to walk away from her son's room. She never spoke a word to him either and as Roman approached the room where Bo and Hope were busily working out a rescue plan he paused wondering if Kate would be brash enough to walk in with him and demand more answers about what the Salem PD was going to do about her son.**

**Luckily she didn't and kept walking onward without him, this time her steps were slower, more pronounced and Roman watched her go until she disappeared down another hallway in the maze of the hospital. His history with Katie was a tangled one and whenever they still crossed paths he was reminded of how he used to be in love with her. This was no time to muse on the past, he then turned with a sigh and headed straightway to his brother and sister in law.**

**"****You aren't going to believe what I just heard," he began as Bo and Hope intently listened to Roman's story and in turn Bo then told Roman of the plan he and Hope thought they could use to find Johnny.**

**_*Give Me the Remote*_**

**During the next few hours of attempting to get some rest EJ and Sami got very little sleep in between their fitful bouts of waking. The only thing keeping them from freaking out over Johnny's kidnapping, EJ's stabbing and Sami's subsequent wreck after she stabbed Lucas was the fact at least they had one another and that their daughter Allie was safe and sound.**

**When morning finally came neither one of them looked or felt rested. Sami was sore, her head pounding like she had the mother of all hangovers from the concussion she had received as a direct result of wrecking the car she had been driving. EJ's side where Lucas had stabbed him with the makeshift shank was also extremely uncomfortable for him. Whenever he moved even the slightest bit, it was difficult for him not to grimace in pain. **

**Despite them both encouraging the other to sleep neither one of them had been very successful in their futile attempts. There was too much going on in their minds, the fear of what may be happening to their son while he was in Stefano's clutches was enough to make them sick with worry.**

**"****I feel like I'm a hundred years old," Sami groaned as she tried to arise from the bed without jostling EJ in the process.**

**"****Me too," EJ added as he tried to hide the look of pain that instantaneously hit him as soon as Sami moved and rolled off the tiny hospital bed they were sharing with one another, both refusing earlier not to sleep without each other.**

**Sami stood up beside the bed and reached back for him, touching his forehead lightly as if checking to see if he had a fever. EJ immediately moved his head back away from her hand. "EJ, come on let me see if you have a fever. You don't look so great this morning."**

**EJ shook his head, as he managed to get up from the hospital bed as well while masking any outward signs of pain he felt from his stab wound. "Thanks for the compliment sweetheart. I can always count on you to tell me exactly what my shortcomings may be."**

**Sami frowned, she didn't want to get into an argument with him, although this wasn't the time to hold back on the truth either which was something she had readily done with EJ in the past. "Don't get mad at me for stating a fact. I'm not criticizing you. I thought we both agreed last night we had to be on full alert to go after Stefano and if you are not ready to go; then we'll just have to wait until you are able."**

**"****Bloody hell, each minute we stay here is one more minute Stefano has stolen from us being with Johnny. I'm going to get our son back from the monster I used to call father if it is the last thing I do," EJ exclaimed bitterly, his disappointment over believing there could be any kind of goodness left in his father had evaporated as soon as they had learned how cruel the man could truly be by kidnapping their infant son from them.**

**Sami crossed her arms in front of her as she cast an angry glare in EJ's direction. Of course she was going to do whatever it took to get Johnny back with them too, but didn't EJ realize how he much he meant to her? In a flash of an instant it was like she was back in the cabin having to tearfully tell him goodbye while he was hurt and bleeding on the kitchen floor.**

**"****Please don't give me that look," EJ began as Sami's eyes looked over him skeptically while she thought he was hurt more than he had let on to her last night.**

**"****So I can't be concerned for your well being after almost losing you last night? EJ you could have died and I would have never seen you again. I've wasted so much time with you already…" Sami's chin jutted out as she raised her head to look at the ceiling so EJ couldn't see the tears that were starting to form in her eyes. **

**EJ reached out for her hand and Sami reluctantly let him pull her back closer to him. "Samantha, I am going to be all right. You don't need to worry about me. I'm fine."**

**"****I am worried about you though, EJ you can't seem to realize how scared I was to see you lying there on the floor, having to leave you behind when all I wanted to do was stay beside you, to take care of you. What Lucas did to you, did to us, our family…"**

**Then she couldn't help it and she did begin to cry. Her face crumpled and she was instantly consumed with heart-wrenching sobs. This was too much to handle, all the things that had happened to their family within the space of a few horrific hours instantly replaying right before her very eyes. It had gone from being what she had thought was one of the best days of her life to her worst nightmare so quickly that it was overwhelming her.**

**EJ couldn't let Samantha break down this way, yes, they had more stress on them than should be allowed, but they were not defeated. He wasn't going to allow his father to destroy their family and their newfound happiness with his dark and wretched plans. "Come here angel." **

**Sami immediately went into his arms, clinging to him desperately as she continued to cry, her tears soaking his shirt while EJ stroked her back and made shushing noises. He could hear broken phrases from her muffled cries, my baby is gone, I almost lost you, I can't leave Allie behind, and I don't know what to do anymore. **

**There wasn't anything he could do to calm her but to let her cry it out, maybe when she did it would help erase some of the helplessness he knew she felt because he also felt it acutely. They had to find Johnny and when they did he was going to kill Stefano so that he could never terrorize them ever again, but he wasn't going to tell Samantha what he planned to do after they found their son. It would only make her worry more and he needed to reassure her things were going to be all right even if he wasn't completely sure they were going to be or not.**

**He kissed the top of her head murmuring of his love for her, at least he was able to voice his true feelings for her at last even if part of him felt guilty thinking it was his love for her that was one source of her current heartache and pain. The DiMera's apparently couldn't find love without severe consequences attached. Last night drove that point home in spades.**

**He felt her tears subsiding when he spoke words of love to her, so that had to be something good and he just had to concentrate on the good and not let the bad overtake him like it had so many times in the past. Samantha and their children meant everything to him.**

**She finally looked up at him, her eyes red and slightly puffy from her tears, but at least now he could recognize the love that she returned to him and he realized the most precious possession he could ever have was her love. As long as he had Samantha's love and the love from his children he knew they could find a way to face this latest challenge in their lives and somehow they would be stronger for it in the end.**

**He closed the last bit of distance between them with a kiss, one that was growing in its intensity until suddenly the door busted open and Bo rushed into the room with Hope right behind him. EJ and Sami pulled apart from their kiss as soon as they heard them enter the room.**

**Bo began, "We've got a plan we want you to hear…"**


	9. Chapter 9

**Give Me the Remote!**

**Chapter 48**

**It was surreal for EJ to have Bo and Hope in the hospital room he and Sami had shared last night while they talked about possible strategies they thought they might use to find Johnny and bring him back home. Although if Samantha found the situation strange; she wasn't giving any indication of it to him with her body language.**

**Then again this was her family, somehow the Brady's always found a way to come together when tragedy struck and the concept of having such a family to rely on in times of trouble was truly a foreign concept to EJ. In all honesty he was still having a difficult time believing Tony and Alexis were supporting him in this quest to find his son.**

**So many things to ponder, it was rather mind boggling to say the least and he guessed he must have zoned out for a few minutes until Bo's voice brought him out of his reverie.**

**Bo stopped his current speech and moved in closer to him as he waved a hand in front of his face "Junior, have you heard a word that I've said? This is important."**

**There it was, the nickname Bo had christened him with during one of his several visits to the Salem PD for questioning about nefarious things he and his brother Roman had thought he was a part of ever since he had come to Salem. Not that they hadn't been justified in calling him in many times, but that was beside the point. It was simple; EJ hated being called Junior, really hated it.**

**He had a diversion to using nicknames anyway even if his actual name was shortened to EJ. Really what in the world had his mother been thinking naming him Elvis? But even though Susan had bestowed a name upon him he absolutely detested, he loved his mother and would never in a million years hurt her feelings by letting her know that he would have preferred almost any other name than the one she had given to him. **

**His displeasure must have shown on his face while he was ruminating over such things which caused Hope to reach out between the men in the room to place a hand on Bo's arm, "Bo, please don't be rude."**

**Bo gave Hope an incredulous look as if the thought had never occurred to him, "What are you talking about Fancy Face? I'm not being rude."**

**"****You need to address EJ by his name," Hope began to explain. "His name isn't Junior."**

**"****Well technically it is," Bo countered ready to continue onward until he saw the three faces looking back at him with varying degrees of aggravation.**

**"****It's all right Hope, I should be used to Beauregard's monikers for me by now," EJ stated trying not to be annoyed with the man. Bo had stitched him up last night when they had found him at the cabin after Lucas had stabbed him where he could accompany them to find Samantha, so he guessed he needed to cut him some slack.**

**"****See,****EJ ****is okay with it," Bo stressed using EJ's name instead of calling him Junior again. **

**"****Well, I wouldn't go that far," EJ stated as he heard Sami start to giggle or rather she was trying not to giggle.**

**Was his wife actually giggling? He felt her lean into him and turn her face away from the group as she tried to quell her sudden laughter. He could actually feel her shake with laughter as she tried to stop herself.**

**"****Plus EJ is going to have to have a thicker skin if he is going to be part of this family. I've already told him that last night when I mentioned the initiation into the Brady clan."**

**Sami immediately stopped her mirth and turned back to them all, "Uncle Bo, you are actually considering EJ family?"**

**Bo shrugged, "He's your husband, isn't he?"**

**Sami nodded her head and grasped EJ's hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze, "Yes, EJ is my husband in every sense of the word. I love him and he loves me."**

**Wow Samantha had admitted it to her aunt and uncle something EJ would have never dreamed possible before yesterday. She was standing proudly and she hadn't even hesitated for a second to tell either one of them that he was her husband.**

**"****Oh yeah, we heard all about the husband in every sense of the word part last night. I thought poor old Roman was going to have a coronary when he found out you and EJ were sleeping together."**

**"****Bo!"Hope smacked his arm before Bo could say anything else. **

**"****What now?" Bo asked trying to move away from his wife's aim. Damn Hope could hit hard when she wanted to do so.**

**Sami turned to EJ, her eyes suddenly flashing with ire, "What did you tell them we did EJ?"**

**For once EJ was at a total loss of what to say, "Darling, I didn't say a word."**

**"****No, he said several words," Bo added as he sidestepped where Hope couldn't reach him as easily as she had a few seconds before.**

**"****Oh my god EJ, did you tell my Daddy we had sex?"**

**"****No! I didn't say anything of the sort," EJ quickly replied thinking he was going to kill Bo, literally kill him.**

**"****How would they know then?" Sami stomped her foot on the ground and crossed her arms in front of her body defensively.**

**"****Well they, they…"EJ began and then faltered when he saw how angry Samantha was looking at him.**

**"****Tell her Junior, sorry tell her EJ, tell Sami all about your hookup with one another," Bo prodded on, making it all worse than it actually sounded.**

**"****You said we hooked up at the cabin?" Sami started to blush all over at least from what EJ could see of her. "You told my daddy we hooked up?"**

**EJ shook his head emphatically, "No! Bo said that to your father, not me! I wouldn't ever say anything that crass about you, about us."**

**"****Hooking up," Bo threw in for good measure even after Hope had a firm hold on his arm, her fingers starting to dig into his skin even through the long sleeve material of his shirt that he was wearing. "Go on EJ, man up, tell Sami everything you said to us last night."**

**EJ turned on Bo ready to go after him, "Would you shut the hell up? You are making things ten times worse than need be…" **

**"****Oh no, let him speak, especially if you aren't going to be man enough to tell me exactly what you said to my father and my two uncles." Sami gave EJ the evil side eye look she used to give him all the time when she was mad at him which was most of the time she was ever around him after finding out he was a DiMera.**

**"****Bo, I don't know what has gotten into you," Hope began to tug on him, hoping he would take the hint to leave the room before things blew all out of proportion and the men came to blows.**

**"****Come on Sami, I'm teasing you and EJ." Bo said matter of fact like none of them even possessed a sense of humor.**

**"****Teasing? You think this is funny Uncle Bo?"**

**"****Pretty much," Bo nodded his head. **

**Sami turned back to face EJ, "So you didn't tell them we had sex?"**

**"****No, you just confirmed it instead Sami," Bo started to chuckle as he tried his best to wrangle his arm away from his wife's death grip she now had upon him.**

**EJ took Sami by both of her hands, "Samantha, your father, Abe and Bo came to the cabin after Lucas forced you to go with him, they could immediately tell I was hurt and then your father started to question me on how Lucas was even able to get past me to go upstairs to kidnap Johnny."**

**"****And they figured out you were with me upstairs instead of being on the couch in the living room," Sami finished his explanation for him. It was all starting to make sense to her.**

**"****I didn't want to tell them we were together. At first I just didn't say anything and then when he kept at me I told Roman it was personal. Sweetheart whatever we do or don't do is personal. I would never betray your trust in me after I had to work so hard to gain it back."**

**Bo broke into their conversation once more to remark. "Damn EJ you really are whipped." **

**Sami cut her evil eye to Bo instead, "Like you're not Uncle Bo."**

**"****I'm not," Bo shot back only to have Hope raise one of her eyebrows at him questioningly. "Well maybe I am a little bit."**

**"****A little bit?" Hope asked as she stood back from him and crossed her arms in front of her body as well.**

**"****Not as much as EJ," Bo reiterated. "I mean who was it exactly that was begging me not to stop so loudly the other night that it woke up Ciara?"**

**"****Bo Brady," Hope warned.**

**"No it wasn't Bo Brady. Fess up Hope, w****ho was it?" Bo asked once more all innocently.**

**Hope shook her head and smiled sweetly, a bit too sweetly, "Don't worry about a repeat performance. You and your hand might need to get reacquainted with one another again very soon."**

**Then Hope turned on her heel and left Bo standing in the room with EJ and Sami. EJ couldn't help it, finally glad the heat was off of him and onto Bo instead and he laughed out loud.**

**"****She'll be back in her in a minute," Bo said confidently.**

**Sami shook her head, "I don't think so Uncle Bo. Hope seemed pretty mad at you."**

**Bo looked at the shut door Hope had exited only moments earlier. "Well maybe I need to go find her. I mean we have to go home to get everything packed and ready to go with you guys on the plane."**

**"****Who's whipped now?" EJ asked as Bo turned the handle on the door.**

**"****I said maybe a little, but still not as much as you Junior." Then he was out the door leaving Sami and EJ alone.**

**"****So you're whipped huh?" Sami asked as she moved in closer to EJ.**

**"****Terribly so," EJ admitted as he pulled her in for a kiss, but she held back for a moment. "I'd do anything for you Samantha, anything at all."**

"That's good to know because I thought we might be able to try out that scenario where I beg you not to stop and you don't," Sami smiled teasingly and then kissed him and at least for a little while they were lost in that special world they seemed to find only when they were in each others arms.


End file.
